‘Apes**t, ‘Love Lies,’ ‘Black Panther, ‘Becoming’ among Obama’s 2018 favorites

It’s become an annual end-of-year tradition for president Barack Obama.

Taking to social media, Obama on Friday wrote, in part, on Facebook and Instagram: “As 2018 draws to a close, I’m continuing a favorite tradition of mine and sharing my year-end lists. It gives me a moment to pause and reflect on the year through the books, movies, and music that I found most thought-provoking, inspiring, or just plain loved.”

Some of his favorite songs (see the full list below) included “Apes**t’ by The Carters (Beyonce and Jay-Z), “Love Lies” by Khalid & Normani and “Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monae.” The former president gave a special shout-out to the late, great Nancy Wilson, calling out her album “The Great American Songbook.”

Chicago is well-represented on the music hit parade thanks to “My Own Thing” by dynamos Chance the Rapper and Joey Purp, “Turnin’ Me Up” by BJ the Chicago Kid, and Hozier’s “Nina Cried Power” featuring local gospel/R&B legend Mavis Staples.

Favorite films included the superhero blockbuster “Black Panther,” Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed “BlacKkKlansman” and the black-and-white foreign film “Roma” by Alfonso Cuarón, which Sun-Times movie columnist Richard Roeper called “a masterpiece.”

Among his favorite books: “Arthur Ashe: A Life” by Raymond Arsenault, “Feel Free” by Zadie Smith, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” by David W. Blight, and “obviously” his favorite, “Becoming” (the year’s best-selling book) by former first lady Michelle Obama.

For those of you in a playlist frame of mind, here’s Obama’s list of favorite tunes of 2018:

“Apes••t” by The Carters

“Bad Bad News” by Leon Bridges

“Could’ve Been by H.E.R.” (feat. Bryson Tiller)

“Disco Yes” by Tom Misch (feat. Poppy Ajudha)

“Ekombe” by Jupiter & Okwess

“Every Time I Hear That Song” by Brandi Carlile

“Girl Goin’ Nowhere”by Ashley McBryde

“Historia De Un Amor by Tonina” (feat. Javier Limón and Tali Rubinstein)

“I Like It” by Cardi B (feat. Bad Bunny and J Balvin)

“Kevin’s Heart” by J. Cole

“King For A Day” by Anderson East

“Love Lies” by Khalid & Normani

“Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monáe

“Mary Don’t You Weep” (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) by Prince

“My Own Thing” by Chance the Rapper (feat. Joey Purp)

“Need a Little Time” by Courtney Barnett

“Nina Cried Power” by Hozier (feat. Mavis Staples)

“Nterini” by Fatoumata Diawara

“One Trick Ponies” by Kurt Vile

“Turnin’ Me Up” by BJ the Chicago Kid

“Wait” by the River by Lord Huron

“Wow Freestyle” by Jay Rock (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

And in honor of one of the great jazz singers of all time, who died this year, a classic album: “The Great American Songbook” by Nancy Wilson