# The Number Ones: Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” (Feat. Jack Harlow)

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-number-ones-lil-nas-xs-industry-baby-feat-jack-harlow/
- Published: 2026-07-20T12:52:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-20T21:37:04+00:00
- Original publisher: Stereogum
- Original article: https://stereogum.com/2505082/the-number-ones-lil-nas-xs-industry-baby-feat-jack-harlow/columns/the-number-ones/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Column reviews Lil Nas X's 2021 hit "Industry Baby" ft. Jack Harlow.
- It was his third US number-one single, topping the chart for one week.
- Piece reflects on his turbulent recent years amid past pop stardom.

## Summary

Music critic Tom Breihan's "The Number Ones" column examines "Industry Baby," the 2021 collaboration between Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow that spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Lil Nas X's third US chart-topper, following "Old Town Road" and "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," and the piece situates the song within his unusually turbulent seven-year run of fame, noting that he has recently gone through a difficult period following a widely publicised incident in Los Angeles.

The column, part of an ongoing series reviewing every Hot 100 number one since 1958, describes "Industry Baby" as a triumphant, boastful victory-lap track made while Lil Nas X was still working on his debut album and shaping his public persona. Breihan contrasts it with the artist's two previous chart-toppers, calling it more conventional than the viral novelty of "Old Town Road" or the shock value of "Montero," while still finding it an enjoyable addition to his run of hits.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.