Jackman Thomas Harlow. A big name now. And most know him by his stage name, Jack Harlow.
This 25-year-old rapper from Louisville, Kentucky, started making music and producing low-budget music videos around 2015. Since then, his career has exploded.
Harlow has been nominated for countless awards, he’s dabbling in acting, he’s released a few albums and a few EPs, he’s collaborated with Lil Nas X, Lil Wayne and was even co-signed by Kanye West.
And while all that’s impressive from an industry perspective, Harlow may be most widely known by the way his music seems to run rampant on TikTok and Instagram. His first hit,“What’s Poppin,” was in thousands of music videos along with his latest earworm, “Lovin On Me.”
This song proudly, and arrogantly, lets listeners know about Harlow’s sexual preferences, his attitude toward women and his comfort with fame.
None.
Harlow wants listeners to know that he’s not to be tied down. Now, whether that’s by people’s expectations or a relationship, who can say? But the first few lines go like this:
“I don’t like no whips and chains, and you can’t tie me down/But you can whip your lovin’ on me, baby.”
So, we can assume he’s mostly addressing women.
Women who are older than him (“She 28, telling me I’m still a baby”) and who prefer to do whatever sort of sadomasochistic acts he pleases behind closed doors (“I’m vanilla, baby, I’ll choke you, but I ain’t no killer, baby”).
He’s proud of the fact that he’s reeled in an assertive woman–one who he can dominate, or who doesn’t feel the need to be domineering around him (“Speaking of AKA, she’s a alpha/But not around your boy, she get quiet ’round your boy, hold on”).
And if these sort of women, or any woman in general, tries to break his heart, she’ll be tossed aside (“She stole my heart, then she got archived/I keep it short with a b–ch, Lord Farquaad”).
And on the problems go.
In the music video, Harlow and other guys dance around shirtless and women wear short, cleavage-baring dresses and crop tops of various, revealing sorts.
This is one of those songs that gets stuck in your head. It’s got a 1990s vibe. And if you choose not to pay attention to the lyrics, you’re set.
Unfortunately, you really can’t.
The first thing you hear is Harlow’s sadomasochistic preferences. And then it just goes downhill from there.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
