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Updated January 2nd, 2022 at 06:54 IST

US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken shares his 2021 year-end playlist as he welcomes 2022

United States' Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, a diplomat who defines himself as an amateur guitarist, posted his Spotify playlist for 2021.

Reported by: Aparna Shandilya
Antony Blinken
Image: AP | Image:self
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On the last day of 2021, United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, a diplomat who defines himself as an amateur guitarist, posted his Spotify playlist for 2021. Blinken's selections are actually two lists: one is an 'at home' collection of American artists, while the other is an 'on the road' collection influenced by places he's been in the last year.

The Secretary Of State took to Twitter to share his playlist. He wrote, "Music brings people together--it transcends borders and everything else that might otherwise divide us. As we close 2021, I'm sharing some of my favorite songs released this year (or recently), by artists around the world. Hope you enjoy as much as I have."

In a subsequent tweet, he shared another playlist of American artists. He tweeted, "Part of my job includes promoting people-to-people diplomacy and forging ties with other nations through a shared love of culture, including music. Here are some favorite songs by American artists that I listened to this year and hope you will enjoy, too."

There are 17 options on the "at home" list, while there are three dozen options on the "on the road" list. The picks emphasise artists from all parts of the world, including those who have worked with the State Department. It's also a bit of a cultural and diplomatic exercise. For example, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, who was singled out for his song Save Your Tears, gave $1 million to the World Relief Program for Ethiopian relief efforts and visited with United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power to discuss the humanitarian issue there.

Blinken's original tracks are available on Spotify

Mr. Blinken's original tracks are also available on Spotify. They were posted over the course of the last three years, in between stints at the State Department, where he was deputy secretary during the Obama administration. They include Mr. Blinken not only on the guitar but also on the microphone, an unapologetically personal display for someone in such a staid profession.

Mr. Blinken, 59, waxed poetic in the Rolling Stone interview about his admiration for Eric Clapton, whose music inspired him to take up guitar seriously. Mr. Blinken revealed in the interview that "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by the Beatles was his first album.

Image: AP

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Published January 2nd, 2022 at 06:54 IST

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