Hit song lessons from Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow is the young Southern rapper who joined Lil Nas X in the latter’s No. 1 selling single Industry Baby. He has since then released two solo singles and an album that resulted in his first solo No. 1 seller. And how he did this should interest artists out there trying to make it to the big time.

Well, the givens first of all: Harlow already had a solid foundation behind him with a reputation as a talented artist who came out of Georgia. He had a hip-hop collective, Private Garden, and a well-received debut with What’s Poppin’ from three years ago. He got his lucky break when he caught the eye or I should say the ear of Lil Nas X and they did Industry Baby with the much talked about video. Then with those and an album in the works, here now are the things that Harlow did next.

Get the solo single out. This was Nail Tech which dropped last February. Next, work on the second single which should have a strong sample. In this case, this was First Class with a sample of Glamorous by Fergie featuring Ludacris. Excellent choice and this was proven when snippets of the tune went viral after those were posted on the most important online site, TikTok. That is where hits are easily made these days. And so First Class became Harlow’s first solo No. 1 seller.

When you have a single as hot as First Class, you’d better have an also hot album ready for release. Harlow did. Titled Come Home The Kids Miss You, it has an all-star cast of collaborators. Pharrell Williams in Movie Star; Drake in Churchill Downs; Lil Wayne in Poison; and Justin Timberlake in Parent Trap. Expect more hits out of this line-up.

Lessons learned. You can sample a familiar tune like Glamorous. This is also good as it revives interest in the oldie. Mariah Carey’s #1’s album is back in the charts because the cut Fantasy was sampled in Big Energy by Latto. Collabs are also a must these days. Check out Ed Sheeran, he has Bam Bam with Camila Cabello, Peru with Fireboy DML and The Joker and the Queen with Taylor Swift at the same time. Nice if you can get a major artist to do this with you.

And then not to forget. TikTok. It is unfortunate that the commercial appeal of a song is now being judged with how many views or likes its snippets will get on TikTok. But that is reality.

And now here are the Top 20 titles in the latest Hot 100 tally on Billboard Magazine where Harlow’s First Class has dropped to a still very high No. 2: As It Was by Harry Styles; First Class by Jack Harlow; Heat Waves by Glass Animals; Big Energy by Latto; Enemy by Imagine Dragons X JID; Stay by Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber; Woman by Doja Cat; Ghost also by Bieber; Super Gremlin by Kodak Black; That’s What I Want by Lil Nas X.

Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran; Shivers also by Sheeran; abcdefu by GAYLE; Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) by Elton John and Dua Lipa; A Thousand Miles by Kid LAROI; Save Your Tears by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande; One Right Now by Post Malone and The Weeknd; Levitating by Dua Lipa; Need to Know by Doja Cat; and MAMIII by Becky G and X Karol G.

And now the Top 20 albums: It’s Almost Dry by Pusha T; Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen; 7220 by Lil Durk; sour by Olivia Rodrigo; Encanto, the original motion picture soundtrack; Planet Her by Doja Cat; Certified Lover Boy by Drake; Georgia by Jason Aldean; DS4EVER by Gunna; My Turn by Lil Baby.

Equals = by Ed Sheeran; Fine Line by Harry Styles; Kaual (EP) by Childish Gambino; What You See is What You Get by Luke Combs; YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny; F*ck Love by Kid LAROI; Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish; good kid, m, A.A. d. city by Kendrick Lamar; Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone; and #1’s by Mariah Carey.