Barack Obama Doubles Down on Charli xcx Fandom, Calls 'Brat' a 'Great Album' (original) (raw)

Barack Obama; Charli xcx. Photo:

Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

On Thursday, Sept. 5, weeks after sharing his 2024 summer playlist on Instagram, the former president defended his choice of including Charli xcx's song "365" on it and insisted that he's a fan.

During his appearance on the I’ve Had It podcast, Obama, 63, was asked if he "had it or hit it" with "Brat summer." He said he would "hit" it.

Barack Obama in Las Vegas in July 2024.

Ethan Miller/Getty

"I just put out my playlist, and ‘365’ is on it, and [_Brat_] is a great album,” he said, adding: "People question sometimes whether I’m actually listening to all this music. As I’ve testified before, I am. Charli xcx she knows what she’s doing."

Obama also said that he gets input on his music choices from his daughters, Sasha and Malia. He explained that they are "undeniably a little more up to speed."

"I got a bunch of young staff who will occasionally make recommendations," he continued.

Obama dropped his summer playlist on Aug. 12, along with his summer reading list on Instagram.

"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," he wrote, listing songs and artists he's been enjoying. "Hope you find something new to listen to!"

His summer playlist was packed with current hits, including Beyoncé's "Texas Hold ‘Em," Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and Billie Eilish's "CHIHIRO."

Obama also balanced things out with throwbacks such as Bob Dylan's "Silvio," "Where Did Our Love Go," by The Supremes and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones.

The former president is no stranger to sharing playlists. In November 2020, he posted a playlist of "memorable songs" from his presidency ahead of his memoir's release.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Charli xcx.

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

The "Brat summer" trend surfaced in June upon the release of Charli xcx's album of the same name. To have a "Brat summer" is to be an It Girl who makes it look effortless in the process.

"You're just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown," Charli, 32. explained in a July TikTok.

"But kind of like parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like does dumb things. But it's brat. You're brat. That's brat."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

The concept of "Brat summer" became an even bigger cultural phenomenon in July following Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the presidential race and his endorsement of Kamala Harris. Charli had posted "kamala IS brat" on X (formerly Twitter) that evening, meaning it as a compliment.

Weeks later, she told New York magazinethat she posted it as “something positive and lighthearted” and didn't expect it to go viral the way that it did.

"My music is not political. Everything I do in my life feeds back into my art," Charli added. "Everything I say, wear, think, enjoy — it all funnels back into my art. Politics doesn’t feed my art.”