The best part of summer is back—former President Barack Obama has once again shared his highly anticipated summer playlist, a tradition that he kicked off back in 2015. As always, some of Obama’s personal favorites make their return: Beyoncé, who’s now on her seventh appearance, and Bob Dylan, H.E.R., and The Rolling Stones, each hitting their fifth. Plus, Obama has added some new artists who are having a cultural moment, including Charli XCX, Shaboozey, and Tommy Richman.

Click here for a Spotify playlist with the songs mentioned in this newsletter.

BIGGEST Songs of the Week 📈

If it's any consolation, the music industry has been country-fried this year. Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs have dominated the charts for much of it. Post Malone and Beyoncé made significant forays into country music, one much better than the other. Shaboozey, a hip-hop-country artist featured on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, earned a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as did Sabrina Carpenter with her retro-country ditty "Please Please Please". Now, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have joined the fold—albeit without fully committing—with their new collaboration, "Die With a Smile".