Michelle Obama will release the first episode of her Spotify podcast — the product of the Obamas’ previously announced partnership with the streaming service — on July 29th.
The Michelle Obama Podcast “features deep dives with loved ones — family, friends and colleagues — on the relationships in our lives that make us who we are,” Spotify said of the series.
“In other episodes, we’ll be talking about the challenges and the joys of being a parent or a spouse, the friendships that help us through the toughest times, or the growth we experience when we lean on the colleagues and mentors around us,” Obama said in her introduction to the series.
“What I love about these conversations is that they’re topics and issues that we’re all dealing with no matter what’s going on. Whether that’s a global pandemic or a nationwide reckoning with race.”
Planned guests include Michelle Obama’s mother Marian Robinson, brother Craig Robinson, Conan O’Brien, Valerie Jarrett and more.
“My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Michelle Obama added in a statement.
“Perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast will help listeners open up new conversations — and hard conversations —with the people who matter most to them. That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.”
In June 2019, the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company reached an exclusive deal with Spotify to create a slate of podcasts.
“We’ve always believed in the value of entertaining, thought-provoking conversation,” President Obama said at the time. “It helps us build connections with each other and open ourselves up to new ideas. We’re excited about Higher Ground Audio because podcasts offer an extraordinary opportunity to foster productive dialogue, make people smile and make people think, and, hopefully, bring us all a little closer together.”