Jack Harlow and Doja Cat know how to get people talking, and their latest collaboration, “Just Us,” is no exception. With a bold sound and a celeb-filled music video, this single is bound to keep them at the center of conversation. But the lyrics to this song have people scratching their heads, and it makes sense why.
“Just Us” has been highly anticipated by Harlow’s fans all month. It all started on March 11 when he posted a TikTok of himself at a restaurant, lip-syncing his lines from the track. He continued teasing snippets of the song, casually mouthing the lyrics while doing everyday activities — from sitting on the couch to checking out his fit in the mirror.
On March 19, fans’s prayers were finally answered when Harlow confirmed the song would drop on March 21. But he wasn’t dropping it alone — Doja Cat was also set to be featured on the track.
Now that “Just Us” is finally out for the world to hear, listeners have been scrambling to decipher its meaning, because what exactly is Harlow trying to say? Well, I think I might have cracked the playful, undercover meaning behind the song. So without further ado, here’s a full lyric breakdown of “Just Us.”
Harlow begins the song by leading into the chorus, painting a picture of himself and his partner as he raps about hoping the two could have alone time “I wish it was just us in this b*tch / But they can’t trust us in this b*tch / ‘Cause I’m tryna bust nuts in this, huh / Let’s keep it,” he raps. Harlow continues the mood with sexual innuendos, suggesting what he and his lover should do in private. “On a hush-hush in this b*tch / I told her she’s so pretty / And she just blushed in this b*tch / She clutch-clutchin’ my—, huh / I’m adjusting my—, huh / She husky like mush-mush in this b*tch.” Harlow equates his lover’s fulfillment of his needs with that of a husky’s sled command by using terms like “mush-mush” to rhyme with his previous verse “hush-hush.”
Towards the end of the verse, the lyrics take a rather questionable turn as Harlow compares slowing down the heat of the moment to… macaroni? Yeah, you read that right. Harlow also throws in a playful nod to the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, rapping: “You must be nuts rushing this / Slow it down like macaroni / I know it sounds like Zack and Cody/ This life’s sweet, I mean highkey.”
Harlow goes on to rap about possibly wanting to put a label on his relationship with his lover but is still overcoming his own personal reservations in lines, “And you might be / Something that isn’t quite but slightly / Resembles wifey, I’ma need this nightly.” Harlow then continues his rap about his lover being well-versed in zodiac signs, namely Pisces, alluding to her claiming to know about him since he’s a Pisces baby — though Harlow suggests there’s more to him than meets the eye. Nevertheless, the two are completely smitten with one another. Harlow raps, “You say you know all about Pisces / I disagree but call it out nicely / I’m all on you, falling out my seat.”
Doja Cat takes up the second verse, rapping about the more intimate moments she wants to have with her partner. She raps, “Yeah / Two hands on my ‘fro, starin’ into my soul / Leg up on that chair, hand on that arm, tongue in that throat.” Doja’s next verse is a double entendre in that it might showcase her lyricism as an artist and how skilled she is at her trade, but if we consider the context of the verse as a whole, it could also hint to something more sexual in nature. She raps,
“I don’t play with my pen, leave it on a good note / Keep you all on your toes, leave the TV off for this show.”
Doja continues to highlight the different parts, whether physically or emotionally, that she admires in her lover, comparing his demeanor to something soft and sweet, like a marshmallow, to also being somewhat dark and bitter like that of coffee. She raps, “You a softy, marshmallows and black coffee / My mouth cold from this blue frosty / My back blown ’cause you blew it off me, like, uh.”
The second half of the cerse focuses on Doja wanting to urge her lover to be more proactive in being intentional with her. She raps, “You want me or what? / Prove that with yo’—, huh / Spend sum’ for this, huh? / Who said that ain’t love? / And this bass hittin’ real backhanded.” Doja is on the offense as she compares her desires to that of the classic arcade game Pac-Man. It’s also worth noting that she references Harlow’s 2023 album Jackman in the verse as well. She continues, “Insatiable, I’m like Pac-Man / We go back further than backgammon / Hey, Jackman, I mean, Jack Rabbit / I’m runnin’ while I look back at it.”
At the end of her verse, Doja takes a more playful approach as she speaks about being on the feature. She pokes lighthearted fun at fans of both rappers, likening their music to something addictive. She also touches on ignoring the haters and creating art that speaks to them, regardless of whether people like it or not. She raps,“Fans really some fanatics / They cooked, kinda like crack addicts / We cookin’ shit up like black magic / Backs to ’em, paper talk, spoke fax to ’em / Makeup on for these pop features / I’m throwin’ ass to some bad music / Yeah, I’m that stupid, like, duh / You mad cute, I wan’ f*ck / Don’t ice box me, let’s touch.”
I think I will need to listen to this song on repeat to make sure that I understand the deeper meaning!