Obama Reveals His 2023 Summer Music Selections: Includes SZA, Boygenius, Janelle Monáe, Bob Dylan, and More

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Barack Obama, the former US President, recently unveiled his favorite music tracks for the summer of 2023. He’s currently enjoying a mix of artists, with his selection featuring SZA’s track “Snooze” from the SOS album, Boygenius’s “Not Strong Enough”, and Janelle Monáe’s “Only Have Eyes 42”, amongst others. Bob Dylan, Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, Aretha Franklin, Jorja Smith, Kelela, Leonard Cohen, and more also made the list. “As per tradition, here’s a roundup of songs I’ve been enjoying this summer — a combination of the old and the new,” he wrote on Twitter, posting his playlist. “Can’t wait to find out what you think I might have overlooked.” See the entire playlist at the end of this article.

Obama routinely shares lists of his current cultural favorites — books, music, films — twice every year. His top tracks from 2022 included music by Rosalía, Maggie Rogers, Kendrick Lamar, and Bad Bunny, while Mdou Moctar, Mitski, the War on Drugs, and more were spotlighted the previous year. 

During an interview with Hasan Minhaj in June, Obama humorously defended the authenticity of his playlist picks when questioned. He stated, “Folks often wonder if it’s some millennial intern who’s curating these tracks for me. But no, it’s right here on my iPad!”

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Obama’s Summer 2023 Playlist:

J Hus and Drake: “Who Told You”
SZA: “Snooze”
Pretenders: “I’ll Stand By You”
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro: “Vampiros”
Luke Combs: “Fast Car”
Tupac, Roger, & Dr. Dre: “California Love”
Leonard Cohen: “Dance Me to the End of Love (Live)”
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas: “Nowhere to Run”
Nobigdyl.: “Parabolic!”
Jorja Smith: “Try Me”
Burna Boy, 21 Savage: “Sittin’ on Top of the World”
Janet Jackson: “Got ’Til It’s Gone”
La Doña: “Penas con Pan”
The Bangles: “Walk Like an Egyptian”
The Beths: “Watching the Credits”
The War and Treaty: “That’s How Love Is Made”
The Rolling Stones: “Soul Survivor”
Aretha Franklin: “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)”
John Coltrane: “Blue Train”
Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj: “Princess Diana”
Toots and the Maytals: “Funky Kingston”
The Righteous Brothers: “Unchained Melody”
Golden Lady: “Stevie Wonder”
Jackson Browne: “Doctor My Eyes”
Ayra Starr: “Sability”
Boygenius: “Not Strong Enough”
Otis Redding: “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay”
Bob Dylan: “Everything Is Broken”
Ella Fitzgerald: “Cry Me a River”
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma: “LA Bebe (Remix”
Money Man & Babyface Ray: “Drums”
Nas: “The World Is Yours”
Four Tops: “Reach Out I’ll Be There”
Pearl Jam: “Just Breathe”
J’calm: “Tempted”
Kelela: “Contact”
Marvin Gaye: “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
Ike & Tina Turner: “River Deep/Mountain High”
Janelle Monáe: “Only Have Eyes 42”
Ashley McBride: “The Devil I Know”
Michael Kiwanuka: “Love & Hate”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Barack Obama’s 2023 Summer Playlist

More about Barack Obama’s 2023 Summer Playlist

• Obama’s Twitter Account
• Obama’s Summer 2023 Playlist
• Hasan Minhaj’s Interview with Obama
• The Presidential Suite: A Look Back at Obama’s Musical Milestones
• 2023 Newsound Music Festival