By Steven J. Horowitz
Guess with Billie Eilish
As usual, President Barack Obama has unveiled his summer playlist , and as usual, his selections run the gamut. From viral stars like Tommy Richman and Paul Russell to established artists like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, the playlist covers the wide range of genres and breadth that we’ve come to expect from the former president year after year.
The summer playlist, which was released alongside his summer reading list, is a mishmash of what's hot then and now, from neo-soul to classic rock. If there was any doubt, it's that yes, like Vice President Kamala Harris, he's having a bad summer with the inclusion of Charli XCX's "365." Elsewhere, he stirs things up with country anthems from Beyoncé ("Texas Hold 'Em") and Shaboozey ("A Bar Song (Tipsy)").
But then there’s a flood of classics, however you define them, from Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” and Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” to the Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” He throws in a few Afrobeats surprises — Rema’s “Yayo,” Tems’ “Love Me Jeje” and Tyla’s “Jump,” featuring Gunna and Skillibeng — plus a few curveballs (Bonny Light Horseman’s “Old Dutch,” for example.)
