Barack Obama’s annual list of year-end favorites has finally arrived, with his 2025 music playlist featuring selections from Lady Gaga, Olivia Dean, Rosalía, and more.
Dean’s “Nice to Each Other,” Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” and and Rosalía’s “Sexo, Violencia Y Llantas” were all on repeat for the former president, as were big songs by Chappell Roan (“The Giver”), Alex Warren (“Ordinary”), Drake (“Nokia”), and Kendrick Lamar and SZA (“Luther”). Obama also gave a shout-out to his old podcast bestie Bruce Springsteen (“Faithless”), and included tunes by Jason Isbell, Burna Boy with Travis Scott, Chance the Rapper, Jamila Woods, Victoria Noelle, and Blackpink.
As always, Obama’s list featured several classic which-of-his-kids-told-him-about-that-one selections. These included “Float,” by indie darling Jay Som and Jim Adkins; “Metal” by the Beths; and “Sycamore Tree” by Khamari. Obama even tossed on a bubbling viral hit release just last week, Lil Naay and Myke Towers’ “Pending.”
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Along with his music list, Obama shared his favorite films and books of the year. Much of his movie list could very well end up resembling this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Picture with selections like One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet, Sentimental Value, Jay Kelly, Train Dreams, and It Was Just an Accident. He also included Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, and Raoul Peck’s documentary Orwell: 2+2=5.
And for books, Obama highlighted novels like Ian McEwan’s What We Can Know, Susan Choi’s Flashlight, and Ethan Rutherford’s North Sun. His non-fiction selections included Andrew Rose Sorkin’s 1929, Beth Macy’s memoir Paper Girl, and Zadie Smith’s new essay collection Dead and Alive. And, good husband that he is, Obama, of course, shouted out Michelle Obama’s new book, The Look.