Barack Obama has unveiled his favorite songs of 2021. And, yes, it includes Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”
The former president curated a Spotify playlist made up of 27 tracks he enjoyed throughout the year. As with his previous lists, this one included a variety of old and new records that spanned across multiple genres, such as pop, indie rock, reggaeton, and rap.
“I’ve always enjoyed listening to a wide variety of music, so it’s no surprise that I listened to a little bit of everything this year,” he captioned the list on Instagram. “I hope you find a new artist or song to add to your own playlist.”
In addition to Lil Nas X, Obama’s listicle featured names like Lizzo and Cardi B (“Rumors”), Aventura and Bad Bunny (“Volvi”), Nas and Lauryn Hill (“Nobody”), The War On Drugs and Lucius (“I Don’t Live Here Anymore”), as well as Isaiah Rashad (“Headshots”).
You can stream Obama’s top songs of 2021 via Spotify below.
The former president also shared his top movies and books of the year. The former list included titles like Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, Rebecca Hall’s Passing, and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog.
“Each of these films tells a powerful story, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did,” Obama wrote about the list.
As for his favorite books the year, Obama chose reads like Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen, These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, Matrix by Lauren Groff, and Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead.
“Art always sustains and nourishes the soul. But for me, music and storytelling felt especially urgent during this pandemic year—a way to connect even when we were cooped up,” Obama said about his lists. “Since these are works I have actually listened to, watched, or read, I’m sure I’ve missed some worthy stuff. So if you have your own recommendations to share, I’ll add them to the stack of books and movies I hope to catch up on over the holidays!”
