Music

Barack Obama's summer 2022 playlist includes Harry Styles, Beyoncé, and Bad Bunny

The former U.S. president is also ready for Bey's Renaissance.

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Published on July 26, 2022 08:02PM EDT

New Barack Obama just dropped: The former president of the United States shared his annual summer playlist.

A longtime friend of Queen Bey herself, Obama gave the top spot to Beyoncé, kicking off the mix with the lead single "Break My Soul" off her highly anticipated upcoming album, Renaissance. Harry Styles ("Music For a Sushi Restaurant"), Bad Bunny ("Ojitos Lindos" ft. Bomba Estéreo), Kendrick Lamar ("Die Hard"), and Wet Leg ("Angelica") were also included. His Renegades: Born in the USA podcast collaborator Bruce Springsteen made the cut this year too with "Dancing in the Dark." And as always, Obama peppered his selections with some golden oldies like Aretha Franklin's "Save Me" and Al Green's "I Can't Get Next to You."

"Every year, I get excited to share my summer playlist because I learn about so many new artists from your replies," Obama captioned his picks on social media. "It's an example of how music really can bring us all together."

Prior to sharing his summer tracks, Obama also posted his summer reading list, highlighting some of his favorite books of the year so far. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel and The Candy House by Jennifer Egan — titles included in EW's 10 best books of the year so far — were among the selections, as were Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson and The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang.

Check out Obama's full list of his favorite songs and books this summer above. You can't break his soul.

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