Jack Harlow's pop rap style is nowhere to be found on Monica, his brand-new fourth studio album. This stylistic and sonic change is leaving most fans unsure on how to feel about it. On the one hand, some are welcoming this switch up, praising Harlow for trying something new.
Conversely, there are those who feel that the final product is bland, calling it "coffee shop music." "It’s just there nothing too special or extraordinary," one X user tweets under Hip Hop All Day's post about the project.
"I don’t want to hear anyone say he’s a good rapper ever again……" another adds while adding a gif of someone saying "trash" while opening a garbage can.
A third delivers a more detailed critique, giving a better explanation for folks in this camp of negativity. "I would’ve loved for this to be good since i love R&b," this person writes. "But unfortunately the production was too bland/basic and his vocals aren’t good enough to carry a full r&b record with such minimal production & hooks."
But as for those on the other side of this debate, folks believe Jack made a smart decision by expanding his horizons. "Jack Harlow made the right decision switching genres. This album is astoundingly better than his previous projects," popular hip-hop page Spectre pens as caught by Complex.
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What Has Jack Harlow Said About Monica?
Overall, Monica is a pretty polarizing project, and one that will either grow on people or be completely disregarded. Regardless of where this album stands in the future, Jack wanted to veer off in another direction.
During his appearance on the New York Times' Popcast podcast, the Kentucky-based (now living in New York) artist explained why he made this choice. His comments about getting "Blacker" have been controversial on face value but his perspective may help clear things up. "I think I love Black music. I love the sound of Black music. Of course, I'm hyper-aware of the politics of today, that safer landing spot that a lot of my white contemporaries have found. Of course, it appealed to me to do something that I felt like, at a time when there's plenty of people expecting me to take some of the routes that y'all are taking, to take the route that not only might not be expected but is also the one I genuinely want to take. So, all the stars aligned in that way for me, to be honest."
He added, "I knew that there were multiple things appealing about this route. But I also came to the decision, I'm proud to say, off of what feels good to my ear. I love R&B music. I love the sound of soft, intimate, melodic music. So, I want to be understood. I want to write melodies that invite people to sing along."
