Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” hit #1

Industry Baby Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow

Writer(s): Montero Hill, Jackman Harlow, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Roy Lenzo, Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Kanye West, Nick Lee (see lyrics here) Released: July 23, 2021 First Charted: August 7, 2021 Peak: 11 BB, 11 DG, 12 ST, 11 RR, 26 A40, 118 RB, 3 UK, 3 CN, 5 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.6 UK, 10.60 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 929.59 video, 2073.61 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Montero Lamar Hill, professionally known as Lil Nas X, was born in Georgia in 1999. He rose to fame in 2019 when his song “Old Town Road” spent 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, the longest-running #1 in the history of the chart. He released his first album, Montero, in 2021. It reached #2, went platinum, and generated the #1 hits “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” and “Industry Baby.” The song paired Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, a rapper born in Kentucky in 1998. He released several mixtapes and EPs before his debut album, That’s What They All Say, came out in 2020 and was a top-five, million-selling album. He experienced his first chart success with the album’s single “What’s Poppin’,” which reached #2 on the pop and R&B charts on its way to being certified seven times platinum. Lil Nas X said of “Industry Baby” that it was a song “for us.” WK He wrote about “stagnation during the Covid-19 pandemic, ostracization due to his sexuality, and staying strong in the face of adversity to witness his future success.” WK He also said the song “captures his honest feelings of his place within the music industry.” SF Harlow’s contribution is a verse “where he raps about handling his critics and boasts that he’s here to stay.” SF Lil Nas X first sent the song to Nicki Minaj, but never got a reply from her. The song also features production from Kanye West. Billboard called it an “expertly crafted rap anthem” WK while Clash described it as “a bubbling piece of pop-edged rap.” WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jack Harlow SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 1/19/2024; last updated 10/14/2024.