Music by Jay-Z, Harry Styles Among Obama’s Picks of 2017
FAVORITES
The former president says he’s had “some extra time” to relish in good books and music.
Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters
President Barack Obama has revealed that his favorite songs of 2017 include hits by Jay-Z, Harry Styles, and R&B breakout star SZA, among others. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Obama said life outside of the White House had given him time to enjoy songs that got him “moving” and books that “inspired” him. “With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most,” he wrote. His list of favorite books for 2017 included the dystopian novel The Power by Naomi Alderman, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, a novel about refugees and emigration, as well as nonfiction books like Ron Chernow’s Ulysses S. Grant biography and the basketball-oriented book Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” got a mention among Obama’s top music picks, along with Jay-Z’s “Family Feud” and songs by The National, Young Thug, SZA, Travis Scott, Chance the Rapper, and DJ Khaled.
During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on...
