Jack Harlow had a hell of a year in 2020.
His three-times platinum single "Whats Poppin" blew up, becoming one of the biggest rap songs of the year. Then he followed it up with another hit in late October, "Tyler Herro," which has already tallied over 100 million streams. And in December, he dropped his debut studio album, Thats What They All Say, which debuted at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
"I'm in the business of turning skeptics to believers," he told Complex in a recent interview, and the success he's had in 2020 certainly converted a lot of doubters into fans. Now, he plans to celebrate the breakout year with a celebratory performance on Dec. 31, which will be livestreamed for fans at home. Hosted by Lilly Singh, Bud Light Seltzer Sessions’ New Year's Eve 2021 show will feature performances from Harlow and Steve Aoki, before Post Malone closes out the night with a headlining set.
The livestream starts on Dec. 31 at 10:30 p.m. EST on Bud Lights’s website, and you can also watch it on Jack Harlow's YouTube channel. Before the time comes, Harlow caught up with Complex to preview the performance, share memories from 2020, and reveal his New Year's resolution for 2021.
What can fans expect from your New Year's Eve performance?
It's going to be fun. I'm going to be able to perform some songs that I've never performed before. I dropped an EP right as COVID began, so I'll probably do some songs from that, too. There's a lot of songs I've been waiting to catch the vibe on. I know it's digital, but I think it's going to be special.
What's the stage setup going to be like?
Oh, it's a surprise.
What's your favorite New Year's Eve memory of all time?
Man, just a year ago, I had an incredible New Year's Eve. 2019 was very special. It was really when the scene we had built was starting to take shape, and I was buzzing on another level. Me and Bryson [Tiller] had shot "Thru The Night," that summer, and we brought everybody out. From there, it just took a shift, and we were throwing parties every week. There was this feeling that being from Louisville was special, and just being close to what we had going on was inspiring.
Then, the year got perfectly capped off when we had this mansion party. I brought Cole Bennett down from Chicago, and we made it a Private Garden and Lyrical Lemonade collab party. It was a lot of fun, and it was cool because this was before me and Cole even shot the video for "Whats Poppin." It was a hell of a party. I think everyone at that party might tell you that's their best New Year's memory.
What's your funniest memory from 2020? What's the hardest you've laughed this year?
It's hard to think of a specific thing, but when I'm with that man Druski... I'm tellin' you... Some people are entertainers, and then when they're not on-camera or in the light, they take that time to charge up, or maybe they're not actually entertaining. But this guy is funny at all moments. We went on tour together over a year ago, after the mixtape dropped, so we're like brothers at this point. And all 2020, we've still been spending time together. This dude just kills me, bro. I'm telling you, this dude has me weak.
I saw he just had a cameo in the "Way Out" video.
He's sick about it, too. He's been in the last two. He's like, "Yo, you're thotting me out, bro." [Laughs].
You also spend a lot of time with DJ Drama. What's your favorite DJ Drama story from 2020?
We've got some good ones. We spent a lot of time together. [Pauses]. But I'm sorry, bro. I can't think of it. This is one of my—
I know it's been a long day.
It ain't even that. Every girl I've ever been with, their biggest gripe with me was my memory and not being able to recall things. I've done so many things with DJ Drama and yet I couldn't tell you one of them.
Let's end by looking forward to next year. What's your resolution for 2021?
Man, I want to get fit. And I've made some real strides towards the end of this year, but I just want to hit it into a new gear. I want to get super fit.
