• March 13, 1998
• In high school, his brand was white and nerdy. He wore glasses, dressed shabbily, and wrote a lot of self-deprecating rhymes. A lot of this was to avoid posturing; a middle-class white kid, he didn't want to act like he had a more hardscrabble upbringing.
• When he was young, Harlow lived in Shelbyville, Kentucky, but moved to Louisville with his family when he was in third grade. Many of his songs reference places and events in and around Louisville.
• He doesn't have any tattoos because he considers himself an "evolutionary person."
  
  "Doing something permanently intimidates me," he told Rolling Stone. "I like the thought of being an actor and having no limitations in that."
• He signed his first record deal, to the Atlantic subsidiary Generation Now, in 2018 when he was 20. Years earlier, when his self-distributed mixtapes started getting attention locally, he got some nibbles from agents and record labels, but nothing worked out. Looking back, Harlow is glad he didn't sign a deal as a teenager, as it would have robbed him of the normal life events he got to experience as a non-celebrity.
• He doesn't like to farm out his talents for guest verses, but made exceptions for Lil Nas X (on "Industry Baby") and Eminem (on a remix of "Killer").
• He popularized a trend of releasing bits of songs on TikTok before their official debuts. In 2022, he did it with "First Class," which got users talking about the track and using it in videos before it was issued.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Ms. JacksonOutKast

The "Ms. Jackson" in the OutKast song is Erykah Badu's mother. Andre 3000 had a child with Badu, and felt she was portraying him as a lousy dad.

Family AffairMary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige introduced three new words with her hit "Family Affair": hateration, holleration and dancerie.

TrueSpandau Ballet

"True" by Spandau Ballet has some lyrics based on parts of the Vladimir Nabokov novel Lolita, including "Take your seaside arms," which in the book is "That little girl with her seaside limbs."

Dance Hall DaysWang Chung

Wang Chung's '80s classic "Dance Hall Days" is about how things can start simple but end up complex. First you "take your baby by the hand," but by the end she has an amethyst in her mouth.

BlackstarDavid Bowie

At 9:57, David Bowie's "Blackstar" was the longest song to reach the Hot 100 until 2019, when Tool bested the record with the 10:21 "Fear Inoculum."

Sister ChristianNight Ranger

"Sister Christian" was written by Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy, who was imploring his younger sister to be careful in her reckless youth, especially when "motoring" (driving around) with friends.

Editor's Picks

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?