Jack Harlow on Pivoting to R&B With ‘Monica,’ Dating in NYC and Finding Himself

Popcast

The New York Times

Music Commentary, Music, Music Interviews

3.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Following smash hits like “Whats Poppin,” “First Class” and “Lovin on Me,” the Louisville musician is making a true pivot to intimate, hand-played R&B on his fourth album. In this exclusive interview, Harlow talks race, ego and the rules he instituted while recording “Monica.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was joking about this, but earlier, but, like, your curls are flattened out.
0:24.0	Like, what's in the, what's in the curl? What's your curl? What's your curl curve? I didn't say that. You didn't have to. Welcome to the New York Times Popcast. You want to do more than just a feature of weekly cultural review with John Caramonica, and I'm the critic. I'm Joe Kostkarelli, and I'm the reporter. I'm Jack Harlow and I'm on podcast.
0:21.1	There you go. view the John Caramanica and I'm the critic. I'm Joe Costacarelli and I'm the reporter.
0:23.7	I'm Jack Harlow and I'm on podcast.
0:24.8	There you go.
0:25.6	You nailed it.
0:26.5	You're good at this.
0:26.9	Thanks.
0:31.3	Jack Harlow is a rapper and more from Louisville, Kentucky.
0:35.8	In 2020, after moving to Atlanta, he broke out with What's Poppin.
0:38.2	Huge hit on TikTok during the pandemic.
0:39.9	Classic remix with Lowell Wayne.
0:41.5	You know his subsequent hits.
0:43.7	Number One Smashes First Class.
0:45.6	Sampling Fergie's Glamorous.
0:49.7	Loving on me from 2023. Jack Harlow, really happy to have you here. Happy to be here. I've been anticipating Young J-A-C-K-A-K-A-R-A-RICO like Swive A-N-R-R-G-G-JARLO.
0:54.5	Jack Harlow, really happy to have you here.
0:56.9	Happy to be here.
0:57.5	I've been anticipating this.
0:58.8	Monica, your fourth proper studio album, out now, like the moment now, right now.
1:05.6	You're watching this.
1:06.3	That means Monica is out.
	...

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