Is King Charles' Commonwealth playlist really that surprising?

3:10 pm today

King Charles has unveiled his personal playlist for Commonwealth Day, featuring an eclectic mix of artists including Grace Jones, Bob Marley, Beyoncé, and New Zealand opera great Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Released this week as part of The King's Music Room, a special one-off show on Apple Music 1, the playlist offers a glimpse into the monarch's musical tastes.

During the program, Charles shares a selection of his favourite songs and reflects on their significance, calling the playlist an "interesting and innovative" way to celebrate Commonwealth Day.

Spanning continents and genres - from disco to reggae to opera - the playlist highlights the unifying power of music. As Charles narrates the hour-long show from his office in Buckingham Palace, he speaks fondly of music's role in his life.

"Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me. I know that is also the case for so many others. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places.

"But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy."

This marks the first time in history that a British monarch has recorded their own podcast. But does the 17-track playlist really come as a surprise?

RNZ's host of The Sampler, Tony Stamp, believes the project aligns with what he knows of King Charles.

"He was into the theatre, he's always championed the arts - he does have that reputation - so this is within his ability to pick some songs and speak about them."

The playlist kicks off with Bob Marley and the Wailers' Could You Be Loved before moving into My Boy Lollipop by fellow Jamaican singer Millie Small. Kylie Minogue's The Loco-Motion and Grace Jones' version of La Vie En Rose follow, before giving way to more contemporary picks like Raye's Love Me Again, Davido's Kante, and Beyoncé's Crazy in Love.

For Stamp, some of these choices feel modern, but remain largely unsurprising.

"My first impression is that about a third of it is, I would say is reasonably predictable. You have safe names like Kylie Minogue, she's a treasure, Diana Ross, Michael Bublé, these are all names I would've expected to see in there.

"But there are also a lot of names that represent something a little more modern, like Raye and Davido. Davido was new to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed that song. And there are still other names I don't actually recognise.

"It brings us back to the same question we had with Obama, as to ... how he's being exposed to all this music."

One of the most unsurprising selections on the playlist is Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's E Te Iwi E (Call to the People).

The New Zealand opera singer has long been connected to the British royal family. In 2002, she performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilee, and in 2022, she was part of New Zealand's official delegation at the Queen's funeral. But for King Charles, the connection is even more personal, with Dame Kiri performing at his wedding to Diana in 1981.

Stamp believes the playlist is a real glimpse into King Charles' musical tastes - but with some support.

"I'm sure there's a little bit of curation, but it's not shocking. It does seem a little bit considered in that there are names from India and South Africa. Perhaps it's a little surprising, but perhaps it's not for the Commonwealth.

"I think there has been meetings in boardrooms or possibly a palace somewhere, where a room full of PR experts are thinking, what didn't Queen Elizabeth do, and what is Charles able to do ... I imagine they thought, he's a new leader, he's slightly younger than the last one, and he is able to do this so it does make sense as a way to engage with say, Beyoncé fans.

"He comes off quite well talking about these things."