Barack Obama On Charli XCX’s ‘Great' Album Brat: 'She Knows What She’s Doing'

Former US President Barack Obama recently praised British singer-songwriter Charli XCX for her latest album, Brat. The 63-year-old revealed that his summer 2024 playlist included one of the songs from the singer’s latest album. He added 365, the final song of Charli’s latest album, to his annual summer playlist. The choice of song was a slight deviation from Obama’s usual as it features more conventional choices. This led many to question whether he listened to the song.

Calling Charli’s latest album “great” on the I’ve Had It Podcast, the former US President said, “People question sometimes whether I’m actually listening to all this music. As I’ve testified before, I am. I get input from my daughters, who undeniably are a little more up-to-speed on a day-to-day basis. I’ve got a bunch of young staff who will occasionally make recommendations. Charli XCX, she knows what she’s doing.”

On August 13, Obama shared his Summer Playlist on his Instagram account. His playlist includes songs by singers such as Etta James, 2Pac, Billie Eilish, Baddy Bunny, Rema, Shaboozey and Charli XCX. He shared the post with the caption, “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!”

His summertime playlists have become a yearly custom, which people wait for with their bated breaths. Seeing Charli XCX’s 365 on the list led many to react to the post. While one netizen wrote, “Obama putting 365, a song that’s just about doing a ton of coke, on his playlist is so funny to me,” another said, “Somehow you chose the most chaotic option on Brat.”

Charli XCX’s Brat has taken the internet by storm. According to the singer, a “brat” is a female who loves to party. Sometimes, she says “dumb things” but is “honest, blunt and a little bit volatile.” Several celebrities embraced this trend. It took a different turn when the British singer used it for Vice President Kamala Harris as a lighthearted homage after President Joe Biden stepped aside from contesting in the 2024 elections. She tweeted, “Kamala Is Brat,” which went viral quickly.

Later, the British singer clarified to Vulture that her tweet wasn’t a political endorsement but a positive and lighthearted remark that she made while waiting for her fiancé to prepare lunch at home.