Beyonce To Mitski: Barack Obama's Top Musical Picks For 2023

Just two days before 2023 ends, former US President Barack Obama posted the much-awaited list of his favourite songs. For many years now, Obama has been sharing lists of his favourite movies, books, and songs at the end of the year. This year, the 62-year-old included 28 songs in his ‘Favorite Music of 2023 list’. These songs ranged from seasoned artists like Beyonce and Shakira to newer artists like Blondshell and Indigo De Souza. American singer and songwriter Mitksi who gained massive popularity on TikTok was also mentioned in the list for her latest hit My Love Mine All Mine. The songs ranged from pop, R&B, Afrobeats, rock, and rap.

While sharing the list on his social media, Barack Obama wrote, “Here are some of my favourite songs from this year. Let me know if there are any artists or songs I should check out.”

A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

Curiously, many people noted that Barack Obama did not mention any song by pop superstar Taylor Swift, even as she dominated the charts all year round and started her record-breaking Eras Tour. Echoing this sentiment, a person wrote, “Barack c’mon my man where’s Taylor?”

American singer Rita Wilson, whose song “Crazy Love” was mentioned by Obama, commented on his Instagram post, “What a surprise to see my duet with Keith Urban Crazy Love on here. Thank you Pres. Obama!” Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell, whose title track The Returner made it to the list, wrote, “I am wildly, deeply honoured. Thank you for listening and for sharing.”

While most artists express enthusiasm when they are featured on Obama’s list, some appear unimpressed. Back in July, Obama’s 2023 summer playlist mentioned “Not Strong Enough” by indie group Boygenius. However, American singer-songwriter Lucy Ducas of Boygenius, reshared this post and dissed Obama by writing “War criminal”.

In 2019, Indian singer Prateek Kuhad’s song “cold/mess” made it to Obama’s Favourite Music List. Kuhad told AFP, that being mentioned by Obama was “overwhelming”. He said, “He is one of the few personalities in our generation who has got a fairly clean image, is one of the good presidents that the world has seen. He listens to Big Thief. I love them, but they’re not a really big band. It clearly looks like Obama scouts his music well.” The singer-songwriter added that the former president’s list came at a vital time, “In 2014, I used a platform which allowed me to send emails to myself in the future. A day after Obama’s list came out, I got a mail which I had written then that said I should quit if I wasn’t successful by now. I think I’m doing okay.”