Obama Abandons Yearly Tradition ‘With Everything Going On’
The former president didn’t “have time” this summer, he said Wednesday.
Charly TriballeauGetty Images
Barack Obama is scrapping his summer playlist this year.
The former president has been highlighting his music favorites since he was in office in 2015, and he’s continued posting the musicians who earned a spot on the coveted list on social media every year. But this year, “with everything going on,” he wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday, he won’t be continuing the annual tradition.
“I didn’t have time to put a summer playlist together this year, but send me songs that I should listen to for my year-end playlist,” he explained in the post. He did, however, still post his 2025 Summer Reads.
Obama has been pulled into Trump’s chaotic headlines in recent months, intermittently interrupting the quiet post-presidency life he seemed to have been seeking. He broke his silence to call out the “constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House” in July in a rare statement slamming Trump’s claim that he engaged in a conspiracy to subvert the 2016 election.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Former U.S. President Barack Obama (R) congratulates U.S. President Donald Trump after he took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense,” he also wrote, “But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one,” he continued, declaring the allegations “bizarre,” “ridiculous,” and “a weak attempt at distraction.”
The 44th president has also been using his social media platforms to support Gavin Newsom’s pushback against gerrymandering in Texas. “Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House and gerrymandering in the middle of a decade to try and maintain the House despite their unpopular policies,” Obama wrote on X last week.
As he ramps up his efforts to help Democrats fight back against Trump, Obama’s time for putting a summer playlist together has apparently already been spent.
The news may disappoint some music fans. The former president has become known for having surprisingly varied music taste. Last year’s list showed the scope of his music interest, with tracks including Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Charli XCX’s “365,” Billie Eilish’s “Chihiro,” GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be,” and more, from 2Pac to Bob Dylan.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Obama’s continuously denied outsourcing the picks. He told Hasan Minhaj in 2022, “The fact that my lists are, you know, pretty incredible, people seem to think, ‘Well he must have had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out this latest cut.’ No man, it’s on my iPad right now.’”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.