Former United States President Barack Obama has upheld a long-standing tradition by unveiling his annual compilation of favorite books, films, and music for the year 2025. Announcing the release on his X handle on Thursday, Obama stated, "As 2025 comes to a close, I'm continuing a tradition that I started during my time in the White House: sharing my annual lists of favorite books, movies, and music. I hope you find something new to enjoy—and please send any recommendations for me to check out." This tradition, which began during his presidency, continues to reflect his wide-ranging and eclectic tastes across various forms of media.

The 2025 music selections prominently feature Nigerian Afrobeats heavyweights, underscoring the global reach of African music. Among the standout acts, Burna Boy's 'Tatata' featuring Travis Scott, and Olamide's '99' featuring Daecolm, Seyi Vibez, Asake, and Young Jonn were highlighted as some of his top songs of the year. Burna Boy released 'TaTaTa' on May 21 through Atlantic Records as the fourth and final single from his eighth studio album, 'No Sign of Weakness,' produced by Chillz and Dougie F. Olamide's '99' was released on June 9 as a lead single from his self-titled eleventh studio album, 'Olamide.'

Also making the cut for 2025 is 'Not In Surrender' by British-Nigerian singer Steven Umoh, known as Obongjayar, further emphasizing the diverse talent from the African diaspora. The full list of Obama's 2025 favorite songs includes a mix of international stars such as Kendrick Lamar and SZA with 'Luther,' BLACKPINK with 'Jump,' Bruce Springsteen with 'Faithless,' Lady Gaga with 'Abracadabra,' Gunna with 'Just Say Dat,' and Drake with 'Nokia.' Other notable tracks include 'Nice To Each Other' by Olivia Dean, 'Pasayadan' by Ganavya, 'Pending' by Lil Naay and Myke Towers, 'Sexo, Violencia y Llantas' by Rosalía, 'Metal' by The Beths, 'The Giver' by Chappell Roan, 'Aurora' by Mora and De La Rose, 'Silver Lining' by Laufey, 'No More Old Men' by Chance the Rapper and Jamila Woods, 'Bury Me' by Jason Isbell, 'I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again' by Stacey Kent, 'Please Don't Cry' by Kacy Hill, 'Stay' by ROE, 'Never Felt Better' by Everything Is Recorded featuring Sampha and Florence Welch, 'In the Name of Love' by Victoria Noelle, 'Ancient Light' by I'm With Her, 'Vitamina' by Jombriel, DFZM and Jetta, 'Float' by Jay Som featuring Jim Adkins, 'Ordinary' by Alex Warren, 'Sycamore Tree' by Khamari, and 'En Privado' by Xavi and Manuel Turizo.

Looking back, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr. Obama's 2024 playlist featured Nigerian stars Rema and Tems, with Tems' "Love Me, Jeje" and Rema's "Yayo" making the cut. In 2023, Ayra Starr's "Sability" and Burna Boy's "Sittin' On Top Of The World," featuring 21 Savage, were on his list.

Beyond music, Obama also shared his top films and books for 2025. The selected movies include 'One Battle After Another,' 'Sinners,' 'It Was Just an Accident,' 'Hamnet,' 'Sentimental Value,' 'No Other Choice,' 'The Secret Agent,' 'Train Dreams,' 'Jay Kelly,' 'Good Fortune,' and 'Orwell: 2+2=5.'

His favorite books for the year are 'Paper Girl' by Beth Macy, 'Flashlight' by Susan Choi, 'We the People' by Jill Lepore, 'The Wilderness' by Angela Flournoy, 'There Is No Place for Us' by Brian Goldstone, 'North Sun' by Ethan Rutherford, '1929' by Andrew Ross Sorkin, 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny' by Kiran Desai, 'Dead and Alive' by Zadie Smith, 'What We Can Know' by Ian McEwan, and 'The Look' by Michelle Obama.