Barack Obama's summer playlist features Nigerian performers for the second year.

On Thursday, July 20, the former president turned cultural tastemaker continued releasing his summer playlists by sharing what he had recently listened to.

Burna Boy, a Grammy Award-winning singer from Nigeria, has songs on this year's album "Sittin' On Top Of The World."

Sability, a 2023 release by his international counterpart Ayra Starr, is also on the list.

On the playlist of old and new records, they are joined by international superstars like Jorja Smith, SZA, J Hus, Drake, Nas, and Rosalia.

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During his tenure in the White House, the former president of the United States started revealing his picks for albums, books, movies, and TV episodes. He has kept up the practice ever since.


Obama posted a list of the songs on his playlist on social media, writing: "Like I do every year, here are some songs I've been listening to this summer - a mix of old and new. Eagerly anticipate learning what I missed.

This year's summer playlist was released a month after Obama refuted claims that someone else put together the collections by confirming that he curated the popular playlists.

These 41 songs make up Obama's summer 2023 playlist:

  1. J Hus and Drake – ‘Who Told You’
  2. SZA – ‘Snooze’
  3. Pretenders – ‘I’ll Stand By You’
  4. Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro – ‘Vampiros’
  5. Luke Combs – ‘Fast Car’
  6. Tupac, Roger, & Dr. Dre – ‘California Love’
  7. Leonard Cohen – ‘Dance Me to the End of Love (Live)’
  8. Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – ‘Nowhere to Run’
  9. – ‘Parabolic!’
  10. Jorja Smith – ‘Try Me’
  11. Burna Boy, 21 Savage – ‘Sittin’ on Top of the World’
  12. Janet Jackson – ‘Got ’Til It’s Gone’
  13. La Doña – ‘Penas con Pan’
  14. The Bangles – ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’
  15. The Beths – ‘Watching the Credits’
  16. The War and Treaty – ‘That’s How Love Is Made’
  17. The Rolling Stones – ‘Soul Survivor’
  18. Aretha Franklin – ‘Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)’
  19. John Coltrane – ‘Blue Train’
  20. Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj – ‘Princess Diana’
  21. Toots and the Maytals – ‘Funky Kingston’
  22. The Righteous Brothers – ‘Unchained Melody’
  23. Golden Lady – ‘Stevie Wonder’
  24. Jackson Browne – ‘Doctor My Eyes’
  25. Ayra Starr – ‘Sability’
  26. Boygenius – ‘Not Strong Enough’
  27. Otis Redding – ‘(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay’
  28. Bob Dylan – ‘Everything Is Broken’
  29. Ella Fitzgerald – ‘Cry Me a River’
  30. Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – ‘LA Bebe (Remix)’
  31. Money Man & Babyface Ray – ‘Drums’
  32. Nas – ‘The World Is Yours’
  33. Four Tops – ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’
  34. Pearl Jam – ‘Just Breathe’
  35. J’calm – ‘Tempted’
  36. Kelela – ‘Contact’
  37. Marvin Gaye – ‘Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)’
  38. Ike & Tina Turner – ‘River Deep/Moutain High’
  39. Janelle Monáe – ‘Only Have Eyes 42’
  40. Ashley McBride – ‘The Devil I Know’
  41. Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Love & Hate’

This is the second year in a row that Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Rosalía and SZA received a shoutout from Obama.