Gemma Cockrell
It seems as though everyone on the internet is talking about rapper Jack Harlow all of a sudden, but what has led to this sudden explosion of success? Gemma Cockrell discusses.
Jack Harlow seems to be just as famous for his personality as he is for his music. His confidence, humour and sex-appeal have got everyone talking on social media, with various hilarious moments on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and YouTube going viral and turning into memes.
Harlow actually comes across as an incredibly humble and down to Earth person
He is the first rapper to rise to such monumental success in what feels like a long time. The previous wave of SoundCloud rappers like Lil Pump have now lost their relevancy. However, Harlow’s situation and his rise to success feels very different and refreshing – it doesn’t trace back to just one viral gimmick or song, or amount to lavish bragging or flexing of material possessions.
Instead, despite his oozing confidence, Harlow actually comes across as an incredibly humble and down to Earth person. He hasn’t lost touch with his roots: his touring photographer Urban Wyatt is his best friend from childhood, and he’s donated to multiple charities back in his hometown in Louisville, Kentucky since he became successful.
Furthermore, even though it is only recently that he has started to gain traction and momentum, many casual fans of Harlow may be surprised that he has actually been releasing music since 2016. This is something that further proves that his success has been attained gradually over time, building a genuine long-term fanbase who are in it for the long haul, rather than relying on a one-off occurrence of temporary viral exposure.
Having said that, Harlow has had his fair share of viral moments that have helped his rise to stardom. The first you probably heard of him, even if you didn’t realise it at the time, was when his tracks WHAT’S POPPIN and I WANNA SEE SOME ASS gained Harlow invaluable exposure when they gained popularity on TikTok in 2020. More recently, he featured on Lil Nas X’s hit single INDUSTRY BABY.
His streaming figures are insanely impressive
Ultimately, even though his personality is what makes him likeable as both a person and an artist, it is Harlow’s music that truly does the talking. His streaming figures are insanely impressive, with 46 million monthly listeners – not far off from Kanye West or even Drake, two of the biggest rappers of the 21st Century. This leaves Harlow as the 26th most popular artist on Spotify at this point in time.
His latest single, First Class, continues his streak of success, becoming his second number-one on the Hot 100, and his first to debut in the top position. Sampling Fergie’s Glamorous, the track is incredibly catchy and memorable, and will feature on his second studio album ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’, set for release on May 6th 2022.
The undeniable success of his music, combined with his infectious and likeable personality across social media, leaves no doubt in my mind that Jack Harlow is much more than a temporary viral sensation, and it seems that he will see success in the music industry for a long time.
Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of The Come Up Show via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of @jackharlow via @instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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