Jackman (album)

Jackman
Studio album by
Jack Harlow
ReleasedApril 28, 2023 (2023-04-28)
GenreHip hop
Length24:08
Label
Producer
  • Jack Harlow
  • BabeTruth
  • Boi-1da
  • Coop the Troop
  • DJ Dahi
  • FnZ
  • Gray Hawken
  • Goldy
  • Hollywood Cole
  • Jaysoul
  • Mario Luciano
  • Mike Wavvs
  • Niko
  • Rashad Thomas
  • shy!!!
  • Wallis Lane
  • 808charmer
Jack Harlow chronology
Come Home the Kids Miss You
(2022) 		Jackman
(2023)
Singles from Jackman
  1. "They Don't Love It"
    Released: April 28, 2023

Jackman is the third studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was a semi-surprise album released through Generation Now and Atlantic on April 28, 2023. Harlow handled production on the album, along with a variety of other producers including, FnZ, DJ Dahi and Boi-1da. It was supported by the lead single "They Don't Love It"[1] as well as additional music videos for "Gang, Gang, Gang"[2] and "Denver".[3] NBA star Jamal Murray makes an appearance in the "Denver" music video.[4]

The album was mixed by Nickie Jon Pabón and mastered by Chris Athens, while Urban Wyatt created the album cover.[5] Jackman reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums chart.[6] It received a nomination for Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards.[7]

Background

[edit]

On April 26, 2023, without any previous implications, Harlow took to his social media accounts to announce the album, release date, and reveal its cover art.[8] The cover depicts Harlow shirtless, standing with his arms crossed in an alleyway beside trash cans in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky with a slightly washed-out filter.[9][10][11] A noticeable hoop is attached to a garage behind him.[12] The album is titled after Harlow's given first name, Jackman.[13] It arrived just a month ahead of his acting debut in a 2023 adaption of White Men Can't Jump.[14]

Music and lyrics

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Jackman was noted for featuring "soulful loops and boom bap production" similar to Kanye.[15] Lyrically, Harlow mostly reflects on "his own struggles with family, fame, and his place in the rap game" while "sometimes commenting on society at large".[16] On "Common Ground", Harlow "addresses the ways in which some white rap fans have become cultural tourists who embrace and appropriate the hip-hop lifestyle while cloaked in privilege."[17] On "They Don't Love It", he "boasts about his status as the best white rapper since Eminem".[18] "Gang Gang Gang" is "a tale of how the best people in your life can grow up to become the worst people possible".[19] On "It Can't Be", he quiets "doubters who think his skin tone is the only reason for his success" and attributes it to "his tireless hustle, attention to detail and simple good-dude energy".[20] On "Blame on Me", he raps about "the effects of toxic masculinity on the psyches of men and boys through multigenerational perspectives".[5] "Questions" is about "reflecting on his rise to stardom, and dealing with the responsibilities that come with fame".[21]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[22]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Clash8/10[19]
HipHopDX2.3/5[15]
HotNewHipHop5/5[23]
Pitchfork6.4/10[5]
Slant Magazine[24]

Jackman received mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, it has an average score of 60 out of 100 based on 6 reviews.[22]

Some critics praised Harlow's lyricism and authenticity. Noah Grant of HotNewHipHop wrote that "anybody who wanted something that felt extremely authentic from the rapper will be very pleased with the new release."[23] Robin Murray of Clash claimed that Jackman is Harlow's "best, most in-depth" album yet.[19] Christopher Weingarten of Rolling Stone wrote that the album is "a step up in lyricism that shows that Harlow has much, much more to offer".[20] In a review for Pitchfork, Heven Haile wrote that Harlow was "aiming for clarity" with "soft, expensive beats and cloyingly intimate storytelling."[5]

On the other hand, some critics found the album superficial and incomplete. Paul Attard of Slant Magazine pointed out that Harlow "operates in two contradictory modes: pedaling surface-level platitudes or going for easy humble brags."[24] AllMusic wrote that the album feels "incomplete or partially thought out".[16] Nina Hernandez of HipHopDX wrote that the album sounds "disjointed and dull".[15]

Year-end lists

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Publication List Rank Ref.
Billboard 20 Best Rap Albums of 2023 19 [25]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Award Year Category Result Ref.
BET Hip Hop Awards 2023 Hip Hop Album of the Year Nominated [26]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Jackman. debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 33,500 album-equivalent units, including 1,500 pure sales.[27] The album also accumulated a total of 43.40 million on-demand streams of the album's songs.[27] The album is Harlow's third top-ten debut on the Billboard 200 and is his first number-one on the Top Rap Albums chart.[27]

Track listing

[edit]
Jackman track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Common Ground"
  • BabeTruth
  • Mike Wavvs
  • Jaysoul
  • Niko
1:40
2."They Don't Love It"
Hollywood Cole1:53
3."Ambitious"
  • Harlow
  • Nima Jahanbin
  • Paimon Jahanbin
  • Goldy
  • Alice Sanderson
  • Keith Echols
  • Tony Miller
  • Wallis Lane
  • Goldy
2:52
4."Is That Ight?"
  • Harlow
  • Cole
  • Mario Dragio
  • Hollywood Cole
  • Mario Luciano
808charmer		1:58
5."Gang Gang Gang"
Thomas2:49
6."Denver"
2:38
7."No Enhancers"
1:39
8."It Can't Be"
Thomas2:19
9."Blame on Me"
  • Boi-1da
  • Gray Hawken
  • BabeTruth
  • Hollywood Cole
4:01
10."Questions"
  • Harlow
  • Joshua McBride
shy!!!2:14
Total length:24:03

Notes

  • "Is That Ight?" features uncredited background vocals by Lauren Santi.
  • "No Enhancers" features background vocals from James Savage, who was mentioned in the song "They Don't Love It".

Sample credits

  • "Common Ground" contains excerpts from "When Will I See You Again", written by Joi Marshall, Tonya Kelly and Diyelle Reed, as performed by Jade.
  • "They Don't Love It" contains excerpts from "Can't Live Without You", written by Timothy Wright, as performed by Connie Laverne.
  • "Ambitious" contains excerpts from "Living My Life Just for You", written by Alice Sanderson, Keith Echols and Tony Miller, as performed by 7th Wonder.
  • "Gang Gang Gang" contains excerpts from "Baby Lulu", written by Timothy Gane and Lætitia Sadier, as performed by Stereolab.
  • "Denver" contains excerpts from "Do You Know", written and performed by Douglas Penn.
  • "It Can't Be" contains excerpts from "I Love You Dawn", written and performed by Bill Withers.
  • "Blame on Me" contains excerpts from "Blame", written by Ryan Hawken, as performed by Gray Hawken.

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ Tenaglia, Raffaella. "JACK HARLOW "They Don't Love It" | (Radio Date: 28/04/2023)". radiodate.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Rouhani, Neena (June 14, 2023). "Jack Harlow Drops Poignant Video for 'Gang Gang Gang': Watch". Billboard.
  3. ^ Paul, Larisha (August 30, 2023). "Jack Harlow Reflects on Fame and Isolation in Picturesque 'Denver' Video". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ "Jack Harlow's "Denver" music video stars Jamal Murray, Shotgun Willie's, Good Times and more". August 30, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Haile, Heven (May 2, 2023). "Jack Harlow: Jackman". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Anderson, Trevor (May 11, 2023). "With 'Jackman.,' Jack Harlow Finds Elusive First No. 1 on Top Rap Albums Chart". Billboard.
  7. ^ "21 Savage and Cardi B Lead 'BET Hip Hop Awards' 2023 Nominations With 12 Each". BET.
  8. ^ Garcia, Thania (April 26, 2023). "Jack Harlow Reveals Third Album 'Jackman' Is Arriving This Week". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "Where was Jack Harlow's album cover taken in Louisville?". whas11.com. April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  10. ^ Paul, Larisha (April 26, 2023). "Jack Harlow Sets Release Date for Third Album 'Jackman'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Kaufman, Gil (April 26, 2023). "Jack Harlow's 'Jackman.' Album Is Just Days Away". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  12. ^ Ellington, Andre (April 26, 2023). "Jack Harlow dropping new album 'Jackman' this week". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Jack Harlow Announces New Album Jackman". Spin. April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  14. ^ Deville, Chris (April 26, 2023). "Jack Harlow Announces New Album Jackman Out This Friday". Stereogum. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Hernandez, Nina (May 11, 2023). "Jack Harlow 'Jackman.' Proves He's a More Interesting Celebrity Than Rapper". HipHopDX.
  16. ^ a b c "Jackman. Review by TiVo Staff". AllMusic.
  17. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (April 29, 2023). "Jack Harlow Tackles White Privilege and Cultural Tourism in Hip-Hop on 'Common Ground' Track". Complex.
  18. ^ Callas, Brad (April 28, 2023). "Jack Harlow Says He's The 'Hardest White Boy' Since Eminem on New Album 'Jackman'". Complex.
  19. ^ a b c Murray, Robin (April 28, 2023). "Jack Harlow – Jackman". Clash.
  20. ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher (April 28, 2023). "Jack Harlow Takes A Stab at Authenticity and A Step Towards Maturity on 'Jackman'". Rolling Stone.
  21. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (April 28, 2023). "Jack Harlow Still Has Several 'Questions' As He Copes With Stardom". Uproxx.
  22. ^ a b "Jackman by Jack Harlow Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Grant, Noah (April 28, 2023). "Jack Harlow Releases New Album, Jackman". HotNewHipHop.
  24. ^ a b Attard, Paul (May 1, 2023). "Jack Harlow Jackman Review: A Self-Conscious Attempt at Semi-Conscious Rap". Slant Magazine.
  25. ^ Lamarre, Carl (December 22, 2023). "The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2023: Staff Picks". Billboard.
  26. ^ Grein, Paul (September 7, 2023). "Cardi B & 21 Savage Lead Nominations for 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full List". Billboard.
  27. ^ a b c "With 'Jackman.,' Jack Harlow Finds Elusive First No. 1 on Top Rap Albums Chart". Billboard. May 10, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Jack Harlow – Jackman.". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  29. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  30. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Jack Harlow – Jackman." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  31. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jack Harlow – Jackman." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jack Harlow – Jackman." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  33. ^ "Jack Harlow Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  34. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Jack Harlow – Jackman.". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  35. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jack Harlow – Jackman." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  36. ^ "Albumit 18/2023" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jack Harlow – Jackman." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  38. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  39. ^ "2023 18-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  40. ^ "Charts.nz – Jack Harlow – Jackman.". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  41. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Jack Harlow – Jackman.". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  42. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Jack Harlow – Jackman.". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  43. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  44. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  45. ^ "Jack Harlow Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  46. ^ "Jack Harlow Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  47. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
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