Listen to Barack Obama’s songs of the year

Spotify has released Barack Obama’s annual Songs of the Year playlist, compiling 35 of the ex-US President’s favourites from 2019.

These lists always invite plenty of curiosity, partially for how they humanise the two-term Commander in Chief. In previous years, Obama’s proven himself to be a somewhat adventurous listener by including songs from Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile alongside Chance the Rapper, Jay Rock and Beyonce.

Watch Barack and Michelle Obama dance to ‘Thriller’

So who made the cut this year? Well, 2019’s most ubiquitous remix gets Barack’s approval, with the Billy Ray Cyrus version of Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ showing up in the list. There are also songs from Lizzo (‘Juice’), Kaytranada (‘Go DJ’), Young Thug (‘The London’) and Dominic Fike (‘Nights’).

Obama shows his fondness for a number of indie acts too, including songs by Big Thief, The National, Sharon Van Etten and the Black Keys.

Norah Jones joins Sharon Van Etten to perform ‘Seventeen’

Barack Obama is 58 years old and there are some choices that reflect his vintage. These include Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Hello Sunshine’ (one of the Boss’s best in years), Mavis Staples’ ‘Change’ and ‘The Fact of Love’ by Americana tunesmith Joe Henry.

Check out the full list below. Confirmation of Donald Trump’s songs of the year is still pending.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX9uhxIrnqGy3?si=3tvVl0zDSgiFxaUoFRbjwg

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