As the new superstar visits Toronto this month, CanCulture examines the factors at play behind Harlow’s speedy rise to fame

By: Sania Ali

Stars blow up overnight all the time. Whether it’s one-hit wonders or a blowout song that leads to a high-energy career, stardom is routinely unprompted and sudden. Jack Harlow rose to fame after dropping his song “WHATS POPPIN” in early 2020 when his album Thats What They All Say debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200. There was no question about it; he was on track to become another blowout artist.

But it wasn’t just his music that caught the attention of generation Z audiences around the world. Harlow fans caught glimpses of his personality through social media clips which further intrigued them. In his infamous meeting with Saweetie at the 2021 BET awards where he was nominated for Best New Artist, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Best Song for his “WHATS POPPIN” remix featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne, his confidence and energy enthralled many. The internet started describing Harlow as the “attractive, funny kid in class.” This was just the beginning of multiple interview clips of Harlow circling the internet.

His chicken shop date with Amelia Dimoldenberg gained over six million views and left the internet completely smitten over the 23-year-old. Many pinned it on his confidence, style, persona and his music. But what has really brought Jack Harlow to this brand new level of fame and infatuation?

Rob Bowman, Grammy winner and associate professor of music at York University, says that when celebrities act, interact and portray themselves online, and then it gains sudden attention, it’s often a result of good branding. 

“It’s a product, it’s a brand, it’s not really a human being,” says Bowman. “Certainly there’s a human being behind it and they may embody some of those attributes. But they may embody a whole lot of other attributes that we don’t see.”

Celebrities aren’t entitled only to sell the product. To really make it big, they have to sell themselves. What better way to do so than have as many people as possible talk about how charismatic they are? 

Bowman compares Harlow’s quick rise to fame to Beyoncé’s, who rose to stardom quickly and has a fanbase who is completely infatuated with her.

“It’s an extremely crowded field. Any tool you can use to distinguish yourself, obviously, people are going to use,” says Bowman.

A distinguishing personality can also make fans feel like they personally know celebrities beyond their work. 

Cheryl Thompson, an assistant professor at The Creative School at X University, teaches her students the concept of parasocial relationships. These relationships are one-sided relationships where an individual extends time, energy and devotion to a person who is unaware of the other’s existence. 

According to Thompson, celebrities put extensive work into their public persona because if the star turns out to be the opposite of that persona, it can be career-ending. 

“That’s why we always refer to celebrities as stars. Stars are going to shine so brightly because you got a lot of people supporting those stars,” says Thompson. 

It was easy for celebrities to have a tight hold on how they portrayed themselves in the past. But in the social media era, it has created a “blurred line between the public and private life” which gives a sense of illusion that fans know celebrities personally, says Thompson.

Long-time Harlow fan Bana Yirgalem, a second-year journalism student at X University,  says it’s the charisma that draws so many people to the rapper. “The way he knows how to talk to people, the confidence he has is something that draws fans and everyone to him.”

Aside from Harlow’s carefree personality, Yirgalem says his dry humour resonates with generation Z, who often express themselves through absurd jokes and internet posts. Although his looks definitely play a part in the surge of attention he received, Yirgalem adds. 

Yirgalem has been a fan of the Louisville, Ky. rapper for about two years and her first post-pandemic concert will be Harlow’s Toronto show this month ​​at History, a newly opened 2,500-seat concert venue.

She’s excited to witness his interactive stage presence in person, footage of which goes viral often on TikTok. 

“I’ve been seeing videos of girls meeting him after the concert and I’m like ‘oh my god I could definitely have my main character moment,’” says Yirgalem.

Confidence, style, music and all, Harlow has become an expert on gaining the undivided attention of millions of fans globally so early in his career. This is just the beginning for the young rapper.