That's What They All Say - Album Review

For 90% of the population, 2020 has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. But rapper Jack Harlow is not only in that 10% who can in no way relate, but he’s arguably in the highest tier, asking for a 2020 sequel. Jack Harlow was introduced to a majority of the world – including to yours truly – when his song “What’s Poppin’” was hit out of the park, with fans who weren’t watching now cheering as he spent the rest of the year rounding the bases. He wrapped his gift of a year with a bow on top when he released his first studio album, Thats What They All Say, after four years of gradually successful mixtapes. A proud product of Louisville, KY, it seems the city has had the inside scoop on Harlow for years, bottling and shaking him for a while and waiting for the right time to uncork and watch him explode. Sure enough, 2020 was, ironically, the perfect time to pop the champagne for the rapper and for the city, because as is reiterated throughout the album, this project is not only for him and his crew, but represents the entire state of Kentucky.

Jack Harlow’s confident and savvy flow is what made his last mixtape, Sweet Action, gain traction earlier this year, and with an inclusion to the coveted XXL Freshman Class added to his resume, his confidence has escalated to a point of contagious persuasion. Of course, when Lil Wayne and DaBaby jump on your song’s remix, it’s hard not to have the world at your fingertips. “Face of my City” and “Way Out” have massive features on opposite sides of the height chart (Lil Baby and Big Sean, respectively) that will transport the songs to night clubs across the country (that is, if night clubs survive the Rona). On "Already Best Friends," Harlow calls Chris Breezy to help him interview two attractive candidates for head positions, while “Tyler Herro” will probably be ESPN's transition music for the next two years.

But whereas That’s What They All Say could’ve gone a repetitive glossy route, Harlow’s lyrics get personal and mature. “Funny Seeing You Here” tells the true story of him running into a girl he dated years ago and rekindling a flame – a story that many listeners have lived themselves. “Baxter Avenue” displays a young yet experienced rapper reminiscing in order to humble himself. “Keep It Light” is a ballad of sorts, where Jack discusses the gap between he and the people who admire his fame, and how that separation has affected the perspectives on each side. Arguably my favorite song off the album, “Same Guy” is a brutally honest self-reflection that, for some reason, has Adam Levine crooning in the background. Possibly the best thing Levine has stamped his name on in fifteen years, but that’s another review for another time. The maturity in Harlow’s lyrics is lined with a relatability that connects the listener with the lyricist and makes it apparent that the songs were penned with truth.

A rollercoaster of a year that seemed to continue raging downhill at a frightening pace for most, 2020 has been an adrenaline rush of a ride for Jack Harlow that he seemed to have anticipated for a while now. Anybody who questioned Harlow’s one-hit wonder possibility now has their answer, and in a year where Harlow virally welcomed himself to the party, he finishes now cementing his invitation for years to come.

Top 3 songs: Way Out, Same Guy, Already Best Friends

Rating: 7.5 Miami Heat shooting guards /10