Jack Harlow Says He Still Reads Reviews of His New Music

Jack Harlow is paying attention to what people are saying about Monica, even as he tries to stay focused on the people closest to him.

The singer, 28, spoke with PEOPLE and discussed the response to his latest album, Monica, which was released in March.

The project marked a new direction for Harlow as he moved further into R&B following his first three rap albums. While the change has allowed him to explore a different side of his artistry, he admits he still looks for outside validation when releasing new music.

“I’m going to read something,” Harlow told the outlet of his album’s reviews. “We all want to be loved, so you’re going to go see what people are saying. But I try to just be with the people I made it with and the people I love and care about.”

Harlow is currently finishing his Monica tour, with his final U.S. show set for San Francisco before the tour wraps next month in London.

Performing the new material for fans has also helped reassure Harlow that his decision to move into R&B was the right creative choice for him.

“This album was a pivot for me in some ways, so I think I needed to go do it live and hear the fans sing it back to me and be reassured that people like it,” Harlow told PEOPLE. “So for that reason, it’s been incredibly validating.”

Harlow previously discussed his move toward R&B while appearing on The New York Times’ Popcast with co-hosts Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica.

The rapper explained that his interest in the genre came from his appreciation for “soft, intimate, melodic music.” He also wanted the opportunity to create something that felt more personal rather than simply following a sound that was already working for him.

“I knew that there were multiple things appealing about this route, but I also came to the decision, I’m proud to say, off of what feels good in my ear,” he said.

Harlow also said his priorities have changed as he has gotten older. Instead of being as focused on reaching a particular level of success, he is more interested in developing a musical identity that feels like his own.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more concerned with finding my voice. I’m much more averse to mimicry or anything that feels derivative than I was in the past,” he added. “I think I was so determined to achieve a certain thing and land in a certain place, maybe the spot I wanted to land in my head wasn’t as nuanced as it is now. I’m looking to carve out my own island and I’m less concerned with how immediately big I can make that island.”

For Harlow, Monica appears to be part of that shift. Rather than staying entirely within the rap sound that introduced him to a wider audience, he has used his fourth studio album to explore R&B and continue figuring out what he wants his music to sound like.

With the Monica tour nearing its end, Harlow is getting direct feedback from the people who matter most to an artist: the fans listening to the music in real time. And for now, hearing them sing the songs back has given him plenty of reassurance.