Jack Harlow pivots from rapping to singing on his new album, Monica. In an interview with The New York Times‘ Popcast, he said he made the shift because he was unhappy with the rap songs he had initially recorded for the project — and with the braggadocio that typically defines the genre.
“I was getting to the point where I was dreading going to the studio,” he said. “And I thought about, what do I actually want to do? What would intrigue me? It just struck me that I would want to do something a little more egoless.”
Jack said that as he gets older, he finds it harder to be boastful in his music, though he knows it’s “a pillar of rap.”
Inspired by Stevie Wonder’s timeless music — which he described as “infused with love” — Jack said he aimed to make music that feels closer to the person he wants to be: a “little less self-indulgent.”
He also leaned toward the softer, more melodic music he enjoys listening to.
Unlike some of his white counterparts who pivoted from rap to country, Jack took the R&B route on Monica and “got Blacker,” a choice that he said made the creative process even more appealing.
“I love Black music. I love the sound of Black music. And, of course, I’m hyper-aware of the politics of today, that safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found,” he said.
He added that he ultimately followed what sounded right to him.
Recorded at New York’s Electric Lady Studios, Monica is now available on streaming platforms and features nods to ’90s R&B, though Jack said he still considers himself a rapper first.
“I just want it to be pleasant,” he said of the album. “I wanted to add something to my discography that could be enjoyed passively.”
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