For nearly a decade, former U.S. President Barack Obama has delighted fans with one of his lighter traditions: a curated list of songs he’s enjoyed throughout the summer. Since 2015, the former has been ritualistically sharing his favorite songs in his summer playlist. This year, however, for the first time in ten years, the tradition has been paused.
Obama confirmed the change in an Instagram post on Wednesday, explaining that his hectic schedule prevented him from putting the list together. “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 told his followers.
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He didn’t specify what exactly had kept him from working on the collection, but his phrasing of “everything going on” appeared to point to the fiasco he’s been facing in the political and media spheres.
The timing coincides with renewed scrutiny of his presidency, fueled in part by pointed accusations from Donald Trump. In recent months, the former president has been forced into the spotlight after Trump publicly accused him of participating in a “conspiracy” to tilt the 2016 election and even accused him of “treason.”
Citing a disputed report, Trump alleged that Democratic officials under Obama’s watch “manipulated information on Russia’s interference” during the election.
Though Obama has largely avoided engaging with his successor’s barbed rhetoric since leaving office, he issued a rare, firm statement in response. “Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense,” he wrote.
“But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.” He went on to describe Trump’s allegations as “bizarre,” “ridiculous,” and nothing more than “a weak attempt at distraction.” For the former president, the controversy reinforced what he called the “constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House.”
But not all of Obama’s public comments recently have been defensive in nature. He has also spoken out decisively about state-level politics, particularly in Texas, where Democrats have raised alarms about redistricting practices. Last week, Obama posted on X in support of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s condemnation of the developments.
“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,” he warned.
Amid this climate, pausing the playlist tradition seems less a matter of waning interest in music than a reflection of the pressures surrounding Obama. Yet music fans will not go entirely without recommendations from him.
Barack Obama shares Summer 2024 playlist. pic.twitter.com/9sT1u8e3lW
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 12, 2024
While his playlist was shelved, the former president still released his 2025 Summer Reading List, which included classical favorites and contemporary works. Among the titles were writings by Mark Twain, a biography by historian Ron Chernow, and The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien.
This literary list underscores his great taste that often shines through in his musical selections as well. Last year’s playlist, for instance, included tracks ranging from Charli XCX’s “365” to GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be”—choices that surprised many and drew praise for their currency.
In the past, Obama has pushed back strongly against speculation that younger staffers secretly craft his lists. In 2022, speaking with comedian Hasan Minhaj, he put the rumors to rest. “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,’” he said. “No man, it’s on my iPad right now.”
For music lovers, the absence of this year’s playlist is a disappointment. What had become an annual celebration of discovering both chart-toppers and under-the-radar gems has been postponed until further notice. But Obama’s invitation for fans to share their own favorite tracks for his end-of-year list suggests that this is not the end of the tradition, just a temporary pause.
