Barack Obama has shared his annual favourite songs of the year list, with Fontaines D.C, Hozier and Central Cee securing spots in the former US presidents’ playlist.
As UK raps biggest success story in the States, Central Cee made the cut with his Lil Baby collaboration, “BAND4BAND”. Irish singer-songwriter Hozier was featured with his soulful jam “Too Sweet”, and his fellow countrymen Fontaines D.C appeared on the list with their bouncy post-punk tune, “Favourite”.
The UK artists received a nod alongside some of the biggest international stars of the year, such as Kendrick Lamar with “Squabble Up”, Billie Eilish with “Lunch”, and Beyonce with “Texas Hold ‘Em”.
Here are my favorite songs from this year! Check them out if you’re looking to shake up your playlist – and let me know if there’s a song or artist I should make sure to listen to. pic.twitter.com/MK51Z77uEb
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 21, 2024
Belfast rapper Jordan Adetunji also grabbed a spot with drill-R&B tune “Kehlani”, as did Ezra Collective & Yazmin Lacey with “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing” and alt-pop star Artemas with “I Like The Way You Kiss Me”.
Last year, Obama promised that the playlists were genuinely curated by him, saying in an interview with comedian Hasan Minhaj that he’s “very scrupulous about making sure that this is stuff I actually like”, while confessing that there are times where he gets suggestions. Earlier this year, he featured recent releases from UK artists Charli XCX, Enny and Artemas on his summer playlist, as well as classic tracks from Nick Drake, Sting and The Rolling Stones.
With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately – and it wouldn’t be my playlist if it didn’t include an eclectic mix. I hope you find something new to listen to! pic.twitter.com/aL400Ctpde — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 12, 2024
He’s kept this annual tradition up since 2015 while he was still in office, sharing both a list of his favourite tunes of the year and an extensive selection of books he’d been reading.
Fontaines D.C have had a successful year, touring the UK and US, playing a packed-out Glastonbury set, releasing their fourth album Romance to critical acclaim, and picking up two grammy nominations – for Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance.
Hozier made a commercial comeback this year, with his single “Too Sweet” propelling him back into the spotlight, topping the Billboard Hot 100 a decade after his breakout hit “Take Me To Church”. He played a sold-out tour in the US, appeared at several festival slots and topped the charts in the US as well as several European countries.
Central Cee has remained UK raps biggest export in 2024. At home, he won multiple MOBO’s and gathered four Brit nominations, all before releasing his debut album, the fittingly named Can’t Rush Greatness, which is scheduled for January 2025. He put out several singles and collaborated with American artists such as J. Cole and Lil Baby.
Cench’s transatlantic success has seen him featured before on the 2023 XXL Freshman Class, the first UK rapper to claim a space on the magazines yearly list. He’s also collaborated with Drake for an “On The Radar Freestyle”, and received recognition from US stars such as Tyga, Travis Scott and Doja Cat. He recently performed alongside Lil Baby at Rolling Loud Miami – read here for our coverage on his appearance and this years festival.
