Tems, Rema feature on Obama’s summer playlist

Former US President Barack Obama has unveiled his annual summer playlist, showcasing an eclectic mix of 44 songs from various genres. 

Nigerian artists Tems and Rema made the cut, solidifying their global recognition.

Obama shared the playlist saying, “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!”

The list features a diverse range of artists, including Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Bob Marley, and Beyoncé.

This isn’t the first time Nigerian artists have been featured on Obama’s playlist.

Wizkid and Tems were included in 2020, followed by Burna Boy in 2022 and Ayra Starr in 2023.

In a previous interview, Obama confirmed that he personally curates the playlists, dismissing claims that a young intern does it for him.

He stated : “I do! Listen. I am so glad that I have this opportunity. People believe the books and the movies, but the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — somehow, y’all think you invented rock ‘n’ roll. You invented hip-hop.

“And so the fact that my lists are, you know, pretty incredible — people seem to think, well, he must’ve had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out this latest cut. No, man! It’s on my iPad right now.”

Source: The Nation