"First Class" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Harlow's second song (and first solo song) to top the chart, after his collaboration with Lil Nas X on "Industry Baby" in 2021. It was also his first to debut atop the chart. The song also entered atop the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, peaked at number two in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, South Africa, Switzerland and the UK, and within the top ten in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Backgroundedit
Harlow posted a snippet of the track on social media on April 1, 2022, captioning it in part "How 'bout this one next?"[3] The snippet went viral on TikTok, with users responding to the song's "summery vibes",[4] with the clips featuring the song gaining a total of 28.8 million views before its official release.[5]
Compositionedit
The song sees Harlow rapping about his "journey to success" and also "spelling out what's in store for his traveling companion" over a soft piano melody, which leads into Harlow sampling the chorus of Fergie's 2006 song "Glamorous".[6][4] The track also contains a reference to Euphoria actor Angus Cloud.[7]
Music videoedit
The video clip was not made available along with the release of Come Home the Kids Miss You, at midnight on May 6, 2022. Parts of the video are in black and white and it features a cameo appearance from Brazilian singer Anitta.[8]
Live performancesedit
On May 15, Harlow performed "First Class" at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. On June 26, Harlow performed "First Class" at the 2022 BET Awards alongside Brandy, who released a freestyle to the song's instrumental a month earlier.[9] On August 28, Harlow performed "First Class" at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, with Fergie joining him to perform "Glamorous", which Harlow sampled for "First Class".[10]
Commercial performanceedit
"First Class" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the year's first hip hop song to reach the top. It earned the biggest streaming week of 2022 at the time, and the biggest opening week since Drake's "Way 2 Sexy" featuring Future and Young Thug in September 2021.[11] The song spent three non-consecutive weeks at number one and also reached number one on the Radio Songs chart where it led for 4 consecutive weeks, becoming his first leader there.[12] With three weeks atop the Hot 100, it is the longest running number one rap song in 2022.[13] The song also peaked at number one on the Hot Rap Songs chart, as his second leader.[14] The song ultimately peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, making it the highest charting rap song of 2022[15] and at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs year-end chart.[16]
"First Class" debuted atop the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, becoming Harlow's first number one in the country.[17] It also debuted at number one in New Zealand,[18] making it Harlow's first solo number one and second overall chart-topping song after the Lil Nas X collaboration "Industry Baby".[19] "First Class" also debuted at number one on the Canadian Hot 100,[20] making it Harlow's first number-one song on the chart. The song debuted and peaked at number two in Austria,[21] Germany,[22] Ireland,[23] Lithuania,[24] South Africa ,[25] and also debuted within the top ten in Denmark,[26] Finland,[27] the Netherlands,[28] Norway,[29] Sweden and Switzerland.[30][31] "First Class" debuted at number two on the UK Singles chart and spent 5 consecutive weeks there, blocked from the top by Harry Styles "As It Was". It spent 9 weeks in the top ten.[32]
^ abBowenbank, Starr (April 8, 2022). "Jack Harlow Lives in the Lap of Luxury in New Single, 'First Class': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Richards, Will (April 6, 2022). "Jack Harlow's new single 'First Class' goes viral on TikTok ahead of release". NME. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Lavin, Will (April 4, 2022). "Jack Harlow announces new single 'First Class' is coming this week". NME. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^ abLegaspi, Althea (April 8, 2022). "Jack Harlow Makes Everything 'First Class' in New Song". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Leung, Yasmine (April 8, 2022). "Long before TikTok, Jack Harlow's Glamorous was a GTA classic". HITC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Qureshi, Arusa (April 8, 2022). "Listen to Jack Harlow's Fergie-sampling new single 'First Class'". NME. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Renshaw, David (April 8, 2022). "Jack Harlow's Fergie-sampling "First Class" is here". The Fader. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^Nunes, Caian (May 6, 2022). "First Class: Anitta aparece no novo clipe de Jack Harlow". POPline (in Portuguese). Retrieved May 6, 2022.
^"Brandy Takes Jack Harlow's 'First Class' to New Heights With Surprise BET Awards Performance". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
^"Fergie Makes 'Glamorous' Surprise Appearance At VMAs Joining Jack Harlow's 'First Class' Performance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
^Trust, Gary (April 18, 2022). "Jack Harlow Flies 'First Class' to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
^Trust, Gary (May 23, 2022). "Jack Harlow's 'First Class' Holds at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen Debut in Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
^Trust, Gary (May 23, 2022). "Jack Harlow's 'First Class' Holds at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen Debut in Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
^Trust, Gary (April 18, 2022). "Jack Harlow Flies 'First Class' to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
^"Jack Harlow – First Class" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
^"Jack Harlow – First Class" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
^"Top 10 Pop Internacional: 27/06/2022 - 01/07/2022" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Crowley Broadcast Analysis. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
^"PROPHON – Charts" (in Bulgarian). PROPHON. August 5, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
^"Jack Harlow Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
^"Jack Harlow Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
^"Jack Harlow Chart History (Croatia Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202217 into search. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
^"Top Singles (Week 18, 2022)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
^"Jack Harlow Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
^"Official IFPI Charts - Digital Singles Chart (International) - Week: 15/2022". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
^"Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
^"IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 11th April 2022 Week 17 of 52". IFPI. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.