Former President Barack Obama shared his 2024 summer playlist Monday, and we have questions.
Obama’s summer playlist comes to us before a rainbow backdrop, revealing his oh-so open-minded nature to all forms of music. We’ve got appeasing (boring) classics like Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” and “Silvio” by Bob Dylan, just in time to promote the singer’s new biopic.
But the one song we all need to address on Obama’s playlist — which I think we all know probably wasn’t compiled by the man himself — is Morgan Wallen’s feature on “Whiskey Whiskey” by Moneybagg Yo.
The appearance of Wallen on Obama’s playlist is kind of meteoric in some ways. Back in 2021, corporate news media canceled Wallen after a neighbor filmed him drunkenly using a racial slur with friends. (RELATED: Morgan Wallen’s New Surprise Song Could Easily Make You Sob)
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
Despite zero mainstream music industry support, Wallen’s 2022-released “Dangerous: The Double Album” was so good, most of America accepted his apology and made him the top-selling country music artist for three years in a row. But Big Music, for the most part, still can’t stand Wallen. That’s why seeing him on Obama’s playlist came as quite a shock.
But that’s not all.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 23: Morgan Wallen attends the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 08: Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, and HARDY attend the 2023 CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 08, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 10: Former U.S. President Barack Obama jokes around as he attends an exhibition game between Canada and the United States ahead of the Paris Olympic Games at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The United States defeated Canada 86-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden (L) laughs with former US President Barack Obama onstage during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
At first, “Whiskey Whiskey” might seem like a strategic choice by Obama. Wallen doesn’t lead the song. He’s just a featured artist. But including him in the playlist signals to America that Obama is just like the rest of us: He loves Morgan Wallen, too! (RELATED: ‘King Of Broadway’: Morgan Wallen’s Party Habits Are Allegedly Unstoppable)
The issue is … “Whiskey Whiskey” just isn’t that good of a song, and it’s mostly because of Wallen’s portion. It isn’t terrible, but compared to some of the other songs on Obama’s playlist, it doesn’t really fit. I feel like his team told him to include the track for the sole purpose of appeasing Wallen’s fans. Not only does it feel obvious, but it falls short of believable.
Then again, Obama also chose “365” over “Von Dutch” from Charli XCX’s “Brat” album, so perhaps he just has weird taste. Either way, we need answers as to whether Obama had anything to do with this playlist, because none of it makes sense.
