Album Review: Jack Harlow’s ‘Come Home the Kids Miss You’ Is Just Fine
Jack Harlow’s sophomore album Come Home the Kids Miss You dropped on May 6, in the midst of Harlow’s pop culture rise. This precarious timing of his new music automatically puts high expectations on Come Home the Kids Miss You, both a pitfall and an advantage.
As an album, Come Home the Kids Miss You is solid, but it feels underwhelming compared to Harlow’s charisma and the hype he placed on the album leading up to its release.
This is not to say Come Home the Kids Miss You is a bad album because it’s not by any means. It’s just fine. But it feels like there is a disconnect between how Harlow wants to be perceived and what the album delivers, resulting in Come Home the Kids Miss You feeling more like potential than what Harlow is actually capable of.
Jack Harlow’s ‘Come Home the Kids Miss You’ boasts high-profile features
Come Home the Kids Miss You features Pharrell Williams, Drake, Justin Timberlake, and Lil Wayne. While not listed on the tracklist, it also features a surprise appearance by Snoop Dogg.
Out of all the features, the best comes from Drake on “Churchill Downs.” The track balances a rising star and an established star, an apprentice and his idol. While Drake is on his A-game, Harlow also rises to the occasion. The two rappers bring out the best from each other, and it’s a high point on the album.
The tracklist for Come Home the Kids Miss You includes big names, yet it lacks a feature by a female artist. Harlow’s appreciation of women is a frequent theme in his music, making this feel like an avoidable oversight.
The album already includes a No. 1 hit with ‘First Class’
Before dropping Come Home the Kids Miss You, Harlow released two singles for the album, “Nail Tech” and “First Class.” “First Class” interpolates Fergie’s “Glamorous” and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Compared to the rest of the album, “Nail Tech” grew in its appeal while “First Class” depends too heavily on the nostalgia of “Glamorous.”
Album highlights include “Dua Lipa,” “I Got a Shot,” and “Like a Blade of Grass.” These three tracks show Harlow’s versatility across the album.
With songs like “Churchill Downs” and “State Fair,” Harlow provides some welcome introspection. It is also worth noting that Harlow’s vocals are quite good throughout Come Home the Kids Miss You, especially on “Poison” and “I Got a Shot.”
Final takeaways from ‘Come Home the Kids Miss You’
Perhaps the biggest problem with Come Home the Kids Miss You is that there is nothing terrible about it. Unfortunately, there is also nothing stellar that sticks out.
While Harlow may carry himself as if he has already reached the pinnacle of his career alongside his idols, Come Home the Kids Miss You does not reflect that. There is still a disconnect between where Harlow wants to be and the music he is releasing.
Come Home the Kids Miss You is not necessarily a misstep for Harlow, it’s just a sign the young rapper still has more steps to climb.
