Songs by JAY-Z, SZA and Others Among Barack Obama’s Favorites of 2017
As part of his annual tradition, former President Barack Obama went on his Facebook page Sunday (Dec. 31) to share his favorite songs and books of 2017.
Obama's songs list is quite eclectic covering different genres of music from hip-hop, R&B, Latinx and jazz.
The list of over two dozen tunes feature some of his friends like JAY-Z and Beyoncé (“Family Feud”), Chance the Rapper ("First World Problems"), Frank Ocean ("Chanel") and Kendrick Lamar ("Humble"). Other artists on the list include J Balvin & Willy William ("Mi Gente"), Daniel Caesar ("Blessed"), Travis Scott ("Butterfly Effect"), SZA ("Broken Clocks"), French Montana and Swae Lee ("Unforgettable"), Andra Day ("Rise Up") and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings ("Matter of Time").
"During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world," Obama wrote in his Facebook post. "With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most. From songs that got me moving to stories that inspired me, here's my 2017 list — I hope you enjoy it and have a happy and healthy New Year."
Check out Barack Obama’s full list of songs and books below.