Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen talk fatherhood, politics in new podcast

Former US President Barack Obama and rock music legend Bruce Springsteen debuted a new podcast on Monday where the pair discuss topics ranging from fatherhood and marriage to race and the state of America.

The eight-episode series, called Renegades: Born in the USA, is available exclusively through Spotify Technology SA's music streaming service. The first two episodes were released on Monday.

Before the release of the episodes, Obama shared details of the upcoming podcast in an Instagram post.

In the video shared on the social media platform, Obama and Springsteen are seen walking across a lawn before settling in what appears to be a studio, where they discuss a range of issues.

The former president captioned the video, saying “Last year, I sat down with my good friend Bruce for a long and meaningful conversation that touched on so much of what we’re all dealing with these days.

“I’m excited to share it with you over the next few weeks.”

In the introduction to episode 1, Obama said he and his family and friends had been discussing divisions in the US and how “we find our way back to a more unifying American story”. One of his friends, Obama said, “just happened to be Mr Bruce Springsteen”.

“On the surface, Bruce and I don't have a lot in common,” Obama added. “But over the years, what we've found is that we've got a shared sensibility. About work, about family and about America. In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that's given us both so much.”

The podcast was unveiled as Spotify announced it would launch in 85 new markets in the next few days, making the service available to more than 1 billion people around the world.

Spotify offers more than 2.2 million podcasts alongside its music library, including one hosted by Michelle Obama.

— Additional reporting by Khanyisile Ngcobo

Reuters