Music
Joe Biden And Kamala Harris’s Sprawling Inauguration Playlist Was Curated By Issa Rae’s Record Label
Getty Image From Sounds of Blackness to Steely Dan, the list has something for everyone. …
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s inauguration will be one of the most hopeful days many of us have had in a long time. To acknowledge the optimistic outlook of their first term, the president and vice president-elect have commissioned a sprawling inauguration day playlist full of hopeful songs from across seemingly every genre imaginable. To help curate the list, the duo’s team brought on DJ D-Nice, whose Home School quarantine streams offered a warm distraction from the stress of the early pandemic, and Issa Rae, whose record label Raedio presents the playlist.
There are 46 songs on the list, nodding to the 46th President of the United States, ranging from underground rap like Kota The Friend’s “Lupita Interlude” to all-American rock legends like Bruce Springsteen. There are also some not so subtle messages to the American people in the titles of the song choices, as in the aforementioned Springsteen selection “We Take Care Of Our Own.” The incoming President wants to “Give The People What They Want,” courtesy of the O’Jays and promises to “Pick Up The Pieces” via Average White Band.
And while the feel-good vibes extend throughout the playlist, it’s probably also going to be fun to imagine Joe bopping along to the late MF Doom‘s “Coffin Nails” or SZA’s “Good Days.” Fortunately, there are plenty of well-tread classics for the older set, including Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day,” Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up,” Jackie Wilson’s “Higher And Higher,” and Sounds Of Blackness’s “Optimistic.” To put it bluntly, it’s a way better list than anything we could have expected from the other guy, and a smart move on the inauguration committee’s part to nab a purveyor of tastemaking cool like Issa Rae to select a collection of songs that speaks to the needed tone of the Biden-Harris presidency: One of unity, diversity, and hope.
Check out the list above.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Artist Spotlight
Lana Crow turns challenges into a celebration with “Laugh With You”
“Laugh With You,” the latest single from Lana Crow, is a sincere rallying cry to embrace life in all its messy, beautiful mess. In the song, indie pop and alt-pop combine to deliver an emotional blow that feels both personal and universal.
“Laugh With You” feels like an instant connection, and Crow is telling you stories of hard times with a cozy, knowing smile. This song is as much about struggle as it is about how strong you are. It serves as a reminder that these struggles are simply what give us the strength to keep going, even when life is tough.
Crow encourages people to welcome them, create happiness in the cracks, and laugh even as the world gets heavy. The result is a song that delicately nudges you to love and embrace yourself. It is an anthem for anyone experiencing tough times who refuses to give up hope. Lana Crow continues to demonstrate her songwriting skills, both musically pleasing and emotionally rich, with “Laugh With You.”
It’s a reminder that it’s how we respond to tough times, rather than how they affect us, that’s key. With this song, not only does Crow provide us with music, but she also lets us know that sometimes a laugh is what we need to remember that there is always something to smile about and that, even when it feels like life has waged war against you, laughter can still be found.
Artist Spotlight
Lisa Boostani creates a mesmerizing tidal realm in “Ocean”
Lisa Boostani’s “Ocean” takes you deep into a sensory world where body, spirit, and myth come together, beyond the surface of genre. Boostani makes a soundscape that is both ethereal and deeply human by combining the broad essence of psychedelic pop with the strong appeal of alternative rock.
Her voice rises as if it is coming from deep within her, shaped by emotion rather than action. She intentionally channels the intangible, turning weakness into strength rather than a source of pain, and “Ocean” tells people to get involved in this inner world, not just watch it. This release is an integral part of her first EP, “One,” which will come out in March 2026 and is based on love, sensuality, and unity.
If “Ocean” is any indication, the EP will show sensuality not as something pretty, but as a kind of spiritual intelligence, a way to know yourself by connecting with others. The song’s textures and structure have an aquatic quality, moving between clarity and delirium, rhythm and freedom. Its emotional focus is on immersion instead of resolution.
The striking quality of “Ocean” is the blend of the mystical worlds. Boostani understands that strength often shows up as gentleness and that deep feelings are better expressed through frequencies than words. She wants people to see consciousness as immediacy, sensation as truth, and openness as an undeniable strength.
-
Artist Spotlight2 days agoCircleKSK ignites an anime-metal collision on “UnBreakable Turn” ft. Anya J
-
Artist Spotlight2 days agoRecc explores nostalgia and inner freedom in “Where the Wild thYngs Are”
-
Artist Spotlight2 days agoAnnaBelle Swift delivers gentle hope and gratitude with new single “Heaven Sent”
-
Artist Spotlight2 days agoGarth Adam keeps the flame of Journeysong burning with the new single “Three Fires”
-
Artist Spotlight2 days agoChris Pannella honors a classic with his stripped-down take on “The Rain Song”
-
Artist Spotlight1 day agoHope Easton channels tropical mischief and charm in new single “SexyReady”
-
Artist Spotlight1 day agoSweetCandy! declares self-love and defiance on “UGLY”
-
Artist Spotlight1 day agoBluntBrad Jr. finds calm ambition in the laid-back shine of “It’s All Good”