The playlists of the rich and famous: What the people in power really groove to
If you've wondered which tech titan likes to 'Get His Freak On' to Missy Elliot after a long day coding, or who leaves the senate blasting hardcore emo, we now have the answer.
A new site claims it has been tracking the music tastes of the rich and powerful on streaming services for over a year, publishing the findings Wednesday.
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Called Panama Playlists, the site reveals Millennial Veep JD Vance apparently has a Making Dinner list featuring Justin Bieber's One Time and Backstreet Boys 'I Want It That Way'.
But unlike 'YMCA'-loving President Trump, Vance also rocks out with emo group Death Cab for Cutie in his music cabinet, listed on in his 'Gold On the Ceiling' playlist (named for the Black Keys song, a group from his native Ohio), according to the Panama Playlists.
12 Vice President JD Vance apparently has a Making Dinner playlist that features Backstreet Boys 'I Want It That Way,' according to a site that went live on Wednesday called Panama Playlists.
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12 Vance's apparent Making Dinner playlist also includes Justin Bieber's 'One Time.'
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12 A new site called Panama Playlists, claims it has been tracking the music tastes — such as Vance's love of The Backstreet Boys — of the rich and powerful on streaming services for over a year, publishing the findings Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is a fan of rapper Nelly's early Y2K-era hit 'Hot In Here' plus Foreigner's 'Cold As Ice' — perhaps in a sly nod to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — according to her self-titled Spotify playlist 'Pam.'
And when he's not building AI data fortress Stargate, OpenAI CEO's Sam Altman streams the aforementioned 'Get Your Freak On,' per his 'My Shazam Tracks' on Spotify.
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How can the anonymous poster behind the Panama Playlists be sure he's got the correct tech titans, media mavens and political appointees?
'Many use their real names. With a little sleuthing, I could say with near-certainty: yep, this is them,' the anonymous eavesdropper told The Post.
12 Attorney General Pam Bondi is a fan of Foreigner's 'Cold As Ice,' according to her self-titled Spotify playlist 'Pam,' per the Panama Playlists' site.
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12 Bondi is also a fan of rapper Nelly's early Y2K-era hit 'Hot In Here,' according to her apparent playlist, 'Pam.'
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Explaining their methodology further, the project mastermind added: 'An example is Pam Bondi. Her longtime partner is John Wakefield, and her profile has an old playlist called 'john' and an old shared playlist with a user named 'John Wakefield,' so that gives me a lot of confidence it is her account.'
The Panama Playlists poster made clear the project is in no way affiliated with the streaming services it tracked, while Spotify pointed out all its users' playlists are public by default when contacted.
Here are some of the highlights and a few eyebrow raisers from the various lists.
Soothing sounds and soft rock
When House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), isn't presiding over lawmaker drama, he's apparently listening to the soothing sounds of David Tolk's new age piano composition 'Peace.'
But Johnson turns up the volume for passionate ballads, counting Bryan Adams' 'One Night Love Affair' and Cyndi Lauper's 'All Through The Night,' among his favorites, per his 'liked' tracks on streaming service Pandora.
12 House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) favors Bryan Adams' 'One Night Love Affair' and Simple Minds mega hit 'Don't You (Forget About Me),' among his favorites, per his 'liked' tracks on streaming service Pandora, according to Panama Playlists.
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12 Cyndi Lauper's 'All Through The Night,' is an apparent bop featured in House Speaker Mike Johnson's playlist, according to the Panama Playlists.
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And while he may not be trying to rock the boat on the house floor, Johnson seems to lean into the yacht rock genre, liking Simple Minds 80's mega hit 'Don't You Forget About Me.'
Alongside rocking out, Vance also has a softer side — a love of Sheryl Crow's 'Strong Enough,' and Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody,' according to Panama Playlists.
Meanwhile beloved 'TODAY' weatherman Al Roker can forecast a flood warning — and jam out to Elton John's 'Philadelphia Freedom,' his No. 1 song played a whopping 151 times on Spotify. The upbeat anchor also apparently loves the eclectic rocker's 'Are You Ready for Love,' which he played 75 times in the last year.
Running the world – on Beyonce
White House Press Secretary and mom Karoline Leavitt is apparently part of the Bey Hive, liking Beyonce's girl power anthem 'Run The World (Girls),' as the top hit on her alleged 'Baby Shower' playlist.
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12 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is seemingly part of the Bey Hive, liking Beyonce's hit 'Who Run The World (Girls),' apparently featured on her 'Baby Shower' Playlist.
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12 Leavitt and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) apparently have their love of Beyonce in common.
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12 Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is a fan of 'Diva,' said to be featured on his apparent 'Galentine's' day playlist, which also includes Beyonce's 'Love On Top.'
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And while Leavitt called out Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for not answering a 'courtesy' call giving him a heads-up about airstrikes on Iran, the pair can certainly agree on Queen Bey.
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Jeffries listed Bey's 'Diva' on his 'Galentine's' day playlist, which also includes 'Love On Top,' by the pop super star on Spotify.
Politics and pop princesses
Jacob Helberg, President's Trump's pick for undersecretary of state for growth, energy and the environment, is apparently as invested in Chappell Roan and Charli XCX as today's Gen Z and millennial concert go-ers. (A stark juxtaposition from husband, Keith Rabois', house heavy love of Deadmau5's 'When Summer Dies').
Helberg's top song in the last year is 'Apple' by pop sensation Charli XCX and at No. 2, followed by Roan's 'Femininomenon,' according to the Panama Playlists.
12 Jacob Helberg, President's Trump's pick for undersecretary of state for growth, energy and the environment, is apparently a massive Chappell Roan fan.for The Met Museum/Vogue
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Helberg isn't the only fan of today's pop stars, Arizona congresswoman Yassamin Ansari apparently favors Gracie Abrams' hits 'Risk' and 'That's So True.'
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is also a fan of Roan's camp pop hit 'Hot 2 Go,' according to the Panama Playlists.
Silicon Valley gets freaky
Altman's love of Missy Elliott is equally as intriguing as Ben Horowitz's 'Good Time' playlist — which features Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On' and Anita Baker's soulful 'Sweet Love.'
Meanwhile, Palmer Luckey, cofounder of defense company Anduril, counts mid-2000s bops like Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone' and Hillary Duff's 'So Yesterday' among his favorite hits.
12 Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is also a fan of Roan's camp pop hit 'Hot 2 Go,' according to the Panama Playlists.
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Ever the disco lover, Stripe CEO Patrick Collison has a full '80's' playlist, with The Pointer Sisters' 'I'm So Excited,' and a remix of Donna Summer's smash hit 'Bad Girls.'
Canceled and controversial
San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie keeps Nazi-loving rapper Kanye West's 'Power' on his apparent Peloton Playlist, per the Panama Playlists.
But he also keeps tracks more in line with his worldview, with Donald Glover's 'This Is America,' about racism and gun violence also included.
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