Just because Barack Obama is out of office doesn’t mean he’s out of the loop — at least, not when it comes to pop culture.
Barack Obama seems to have put his post-White House downtime to good use.
The former POTUS has made a tradition of sharing his favorite pop culture moments at the end of each year, and just because he’s out of office doesn’t mean he’s out of the loop.
Obama took to Facebook Sunday to share a list of his favorite books and music that he’s read and listened to in 2017.
“During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world,” he wrote. “With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most.”
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Topping Obama’s literary list was “The Power” by Naomi Alderman, a dystopian sci-fi novel which won the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction in June.
His list included a healthy mix of both novels (like “Anything Is Possible” by Elizabeth Strout and “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid, the latter of which centers of emigration and refugees) and nonfiction, including a biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow.
Meanwhile, his list of favorites tunes from 2017 was littered with popular hits like Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble,” Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” and Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”
He also gave a shout-out to some deeper cuts, like “First World Problems” by Chance the Rapper, “Broken Clocks” by SZA and “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” by The National.
Obama wrapped up with a humble brag of sorts by way of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U. S. A.” — but only the blues version featured in The Boss’s nearly-impossible-to-snag-tickets-to-unless-you’re-a-former-president Broadway show .
