Former President Obama is suggesting he’s been having a “brat” summer, recommending songs from Charli XCX, Shaboozey and Billie Eilish as part of an annual list of favorite tunes.
“With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately,” the 44th president said in a Monday social media post.
“I hope you find something new to listen to!” Obama said, describing his choice of songs as an “eclectic mix.”
Some of the more than 40 tracks listed include “365” from “brat” singer Charli XCX, the Shaboozey summer anthem “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Eilish’s “Chihiro,” “Why Don’t You” by Cleo Sol, Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Wanna Be” by GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion.
Obama isn’t the only political figure to embrace Charli XCX’s music — after the British performer seemingly complimented Vice President Harris by writing on social media that “Kamala IS brat,” the Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign mimicked the songstress’s “brat” album art on its @KamalaHQ account on social platform X.
Obama also listed “Whiskey Whiskey,” by Moneybagg Yo and featuring country music star Morgan Wallen, as one of his top jams. In 2021, Wallen faced intense backlash after a camera captured him using racist language.
The former commander in chief, who turned 63 earlier this month, also highlighted some classics among his musical picks, including Bob Dylan’s “Silvio,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones, The Supremes’s “Where Did Our Love Go” and the 1962 tune by The Miracles, “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.”
The ex-president also shared his summer reading list on X, naming “Beautiful Days” by Zach Williams; the 2022 book, “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About it” by Richard Reeves; and Kaliane Bradley’s novel “The Ministry of Time” among some of his favorites.
Obama has insisted over the years that he genuinely enjoys the music, movies and books he recommends via his annual roundups.
“People, they believe the books and the movies, but the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — somehow you all think you invented rock ‘n’ roll, you invented hip-hop,” he said in an interview last year.
“So the fact that my lists are pretty incredible, people seem to think, ‘Wow, he must have had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out you know, this latest cut.’ No, man — it’s on my iPad right now,” Obama said at the time.