By Grace Reynoso
It has been a pivotal few weeks for Jack Harlow. From his new song release, “Nail Tech”, to receiving recognition from Kanye West, it seems the trajectory of the rap star is only going up and up.
Following the drop of Harlow’s new single, “Nail Tech,” Ye took to Instagram on Friday (Feb. 18) to shout out the artist. “Top 5 out right now,” he captioned a screenshot of the music video from YouTube, which indicated that the clip was No. 10 on the platform’s trending videos for music (which later hit #1, as of (2/20/22).
Now, onto my initial thoughts:
From my first listen, the old-timey latin style horns caught me off guard, but in the best way. While this led me to believe this would be a more vibey, chill track–-I was very wrong. Jack’s lyrics pack a punch, and they always deliver in terms of confidence. After about the .09 second mark, this track slowly turned into a very suave hype song for me.
This songs elicits the feeling of a star athlete preparing to play that championship game that could be the deciding factor of their career. Or perhaps, a weight lifting anthem. It is currently the first track on my running playlist, and that’s when you know it’s good.
“Nail Tech” is matter-of-fact in a way that’s not too in your face. Almost like a more chill “Industry Baby”. Not to mention the very catchy use of “Bow” in the chorus, which pays homage to the song “Bow” by fellow Louisville rapper, C-Tez, who is also featured in the Nail Tech video.
After receiving opinions from friends and observing feedback online, it seems that this song may be a “grower” to some, and is a promising start to a potential new project. The record’s booming sense of morale is undeniable, and the video visuals are clever and of quality. I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of tracks could follow this up.
Overall, I believe “Nail Tech” is a strong and steady introduction to an era of Jack’s discography and career that everyone will be looking out for, regardless of if you like his music or not. I recommend giving this song a listen, or two, or however many your heart desires, it’s very catchy.