The mayor wants you to get your groove on this summer.

Ted Eytan / Flickr

Ever wonder what Mayor Muriel Bowser jams out to?

The mayor continued the trend of politicians curating their own Spotify playlists on Wednesday, releasing a mix of 27 songs called “Mayor Bowser’s Summer 2019 Playlist.”

It’s a somewhat all-over-the-place selection of top 40, recent throwbacks, and go-go jams, with music from the 70s and 80s thrown into the mix. The new playlist comes about a year after Bowser dropped her debut Spotify mix “Back 2 School Jams.”

“The Mayor’s summer playlist strives to capture the same energy and spirit of D.C.’s burgeoning art and music scene, and the mix of talented artists is a reflection of the diversity of our city,” spokesperson Susana Castillo told DCist in an e-mailed statement. “She hopes all residents will tune in, and even make it their commuting playlist on the free DC Circulator!”

The opening track, “Don’t Mute DC,” is a recent collaboration between go-go veterans Rare Essence, producer Tone P, and rappers Noochie and Lightshow. The song rose to popularity when it dropped earlier this year in the midst of a heated debate over gentrification and the role of go-go music in the District.

As far as D.C. tunes go, you’ll also find “Da Butt,” a seminal booty-shaker written by Marcus Miller and played by local go-go outfit Experience Unlimited in 1988, and “Meet Me at the Go-Go” by Hot, Cold Sweat.

But not all the tracks on Bowser’s pot-pourri are District-specific. Many are just obvious summer choices, like “Here Comes the Rain Again,” the 1984 synth-pop hit from Eurythmics, and last year’s steel drums-driven groove “Summertime Magic” by Childish Gambino.

Bowser also leans heavily on music from the 70s and 80s—perhaps favorites from her youth—with songs by Prince and Michael Jackson. And the playlist is peppered with a few forgotten Top 40 hits like Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” from 2011.

More recent mainstream hits that made the cut include “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber, and Chris Brown’s “Undecided,” a surprising choice given the artist’s abusive past and criminal history in the District.

Of course, Mayor Bowser didn’t forget to throw in “Old Town Road – Remix” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, because apparently no 2019 playlist is complete without it.

The mayor has gotten into hot water for getting involved in issues of personal taste before. Earlier this year, she sparked a fiery culinary debate when she tweeted out her favorite D.C. pizza joints for National Pizza Day. Bowser also raised eyebrows last year by declaring herself “annoyed” with mumbo sauce.

Politicians releasing public playlists is nothing new. Former president Barack Obama has been sharing his personally curated mixes since at least 2013, when he released the “Official Inauguration Playlist” for his second swearing-in ceremony. Since then, Obama has periodically put out mixes to rave reviews from loyal fans and music critics.

This story has been updated with a statement from a spokesperson for the mayor.

Filed Under: go go, mayor bowser, muriel bowser, music, playlist,