Fergie surprised audiences at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards by joining Jack Harlow on stage for a performance of his “Glamorous”-sampling No. 1 hit “First Class.”
The two kicked off the show at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday night.
via Variety:
Harlow started off with “First Class,” continuing his self-deprecating video appearances: He appeared in “What’s Poppin” as a short-order cook, on “Saturday Night Live” as a custodian, and tonight he appeared as an airline steward, high-fiving or walking past Avril Lavigne, Becky G and of course his pal Lil Nas X before quickly losing that outfit for a glittery black ensemble and a red-carpet scene. He quickly joined Fergie as the song transformed into “Glamorous.”
Fergie’s 2006 song saw a mini streaming increase of 70% following Harlow’s sample of the track — which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year — according to data by Luminate.
Harlow’s strategic teasing of the track on TikTok helped to make the song an immediate success. Using thirteen-second clips of the single for a multitude of videos, Harlow — who is no slouch at social media — made “First Class” a trending sound on the app ahead of its full release.
In the weeks prior to Harlow’s release, “Glamourous” had a total of 3,225,900 on-demand total streams. On the day and weeks following Harlow’s release, “Glamorous” tallied 5,474,100 on-demand total streams, accounting for a bump of 70%. The increased interest in the 2000s track also extended to digital song sales for “Glamorous,” boosting from 400 (two weeks before release) to 900 (two weeks after release) — a 125% difference.
It’s good to see Fergie again — she looks great!
