Barack Obama is bumpin’ Charli XCX‘s Brat, whether fans think he is or not.
A couple of weeks after releasing his annual summer playlist, the former president doubled down on his fandom of the British pop star’s critically acclaimed album during an interview on the I’ve Had It podcast. “I just put out my playlist, and ‘365’ is on it, and [Brat] is a great album,” he told hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan.
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“People question sometimes whether I’m actually listening to all this music,” Obama added with a defiant expression. “As I’ve testified before, I am. Charli XCX, she knows what she’s doing.”
The politician dropped his 2024 summer jams on Aug. 12, spotlighting Shaboozey’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Billie Eilish’s “Chihiro” and Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” in addition to Charli’s album closer. He also featured GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be,” Saweetie’s “My Best,” Tems’ “Love Me Jeje,” Moneybagg Yo and Morgan Wallen’s genre-blending “Whiskey Whiskey,” plus 2Pac’s “How Do U Want It” and Common’s “The People.”
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From Obama’s shout-out to Kamala Harris’ recent co-opting of Brat for her campaign, the “Von Dutch” singer has had much more to do with American politics this year than she probably expected. After spontaneously tweeting “Kamala IS brat” in July after the VP took over President Joe Biden’s spot on the 2024 Democratic ticket, the former attorney’s team was quick to rebrand the KamalaHQ X account with a header inspired by Charli’s album cover — but the musician has since said she never intended to make a full-fledged endorsement.
“Did I think me talking about being a mess b–ch and, like partying and needing a Bic lighter and a pack of Marlboro Lights would end up on CNN? No,” she told Vulture in August, noting that she is not, and has never aspired to be, “a political artist.” “I’m not Bob Dylan and I’ve never pretended to be… My music is not political. Everything I do in my life feeds back into my art. Everything I say, wear, think, enjoy — it all funnels back into my art. Politics doesn’t feed my art.”
Watch Obama defend his claim to Brat summer below.