Former President Barack Obama has shared his annual summer playlist. The 2021 edition includes tracks by Jazmine Sullivan, Arooj Aftab, Wye Oak, Migos, Joni Mitchell, Chicago, Rihanna, JAY-Z, Erykah Badu, George Harrison, and more. With so many folks getting together with family and friends, theres a lot to celebrate this summer, Obama wrote as he revealed this years roster of songs. Heres a playlist of songs Ive been listening to latelyits a mix of old and new, household names and emerging artists, and a whole lot in between. Check it out below.
Last year, Obamas playlist featured performers at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, such as Billie Eilish, Maggie Rogers, Common, John Legend, and Leon Bridges, as well as cuts by Megan Thee Stallion, Frank Ocean, Bob Dylan, and more.
Revisit the 2016 feature The Presidential Suite: A Look Back at Obamas Musical Milestones, and check out Pitchforks Rising interview Get to Know Arooj Aftab, the Defiant Singer Whos Reimagining Traditional South Asian Music for Today.