Michelle Obama Made A “Black Girl Magic” Playlist On Spotify & It Has So Many Jams
Michelle Obama's new Spotify podcast is taking a musical turn. On Friday, Aug. 7, the former first lady took to social media to share a list of songs from and inspired by her podcast. With so many jams from female artists of color like Chloe X Halle and Beyoncé, Michelle Obama’s "Black Girl Magic" Spotify playlist is a must-listen for every R&B and hip hop fan.
Obama, who's released two episodes of her eponymous podcast since its launch on July 29, gifted fans a musical accompaniment to her first season in a tweet shared on Friday. The former first lady's Spotify podcast has already interwoven music with the topics she covers, such as the first episode's contrast of "Black Truck" by Mereba with Obama's discussion about your roots and giving back to your community. In addition to the Mereba track, Obama's picks also featured popular tracks by Black female artists like "Black Parade" by Beyoncé, "Hair Down" by SiR, "Do It" by Chloe x Halle, "Made It" by Teyana Taylor, and "B.S." by H.E.R. and Jhené Aiko.
"Excited to share with you a new Spotify playlist inspired by the first season of my new podcast," Obama wrote. "It's filled with incredible new artists and a whole lot of #BlackGirlMagic. I hope you'll give it a listen and follow some of these terrific musicians."
The playlist comes after the author shared she was dealing with "low-grade depression" due to anxiety surrounding the pandemic as well as the fight for racial equality in an episode on Aug. 5.
"I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression," she said during the episode. "Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting." She followed up her heartfelt podcast with an Instagram post thanking followers for their support.
She wrote, "The idea that what this country is going through shouldn’t have any effect on us — that we all should just feel OK all the time — that just doesn’t feel real to me. So I hope you all are allowing yourselves to feel whatever it is you’re feeling. I hope you’re listening to yourselves and taking a moment to reflect on everything that’s coming at us, and what you might be able to do about it."
Meanwhile, her inaugural episode aired on Spotify on July 29 and featured an intimate conversation between Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama. She's said her mom and brother as well as Conan O'Brien and Valerie Jarrett will also make guest appearances in future episodes.
Only time will tell whether Obama decides to share more music inspired by the podcast in the coming weeks, but it's safe to say her "Black Girl Magic" picks are a great start.
