Words by Rosalind Thacker
Whether through his viral internet hits or unashamed individuality, Lil Nas X is changing the face of modern pop music.
Lil Nas X has cultivated a reputation as one of pop culture’s most seismic artists in recent times. If nothing else, the reaction to the music video for his latest hit, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”, has proven that fact. An unapologetic celebration of Black queer sexuality, the video includes some blatant biblical and spiritual references which led to backlash from many right-wing critics. Whether the general public is a fan of his music or not, though, Lil Nas X deserves much more than to simply be called by his name – he deserves his respect from hip-hop culture, too.
For those who haven’t seen the video, the 21-year-old “Old Town Road” artist uses biblical and ancient Greek-inspired visuals to send a poignant message about religion, sexuality and oppression. In more overt terms, he pole dances his way into hell, gives Satan a lap dance in thigh-high stiletto boots before breaking his neck, stealing his horned crown and taking his place as Hell’s infamous ruler.
Unsurprisingly, Lil Nas X faced the wrath of conservatism upon the release of “Montero” – mainly from those that haven’t yet recovered from the “WAP” video – as they deemed it “depraved” and “evil”. Thankfully for Lil Nas X, the success of the single speaks for itself, as it has already topped the charts in both the US and UK.
It hasn’t taken long for Lil Nas X to become a household name, following the viral success of his genre-bending single “Old Town Road” back in 2019. In classic Lil Nas X style, the track single-handedly shook up the country music genre, with Billy Ray Cyrus fans delighted at the thought of a country-rap single topping the Billboard charts. Seriously, this song was massive.
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Shortly after the song’s world-beating success, on the final day of Pride month, Lil Nas X came out to his fans by asking them to listen closely to the seventh track, “C7osure (You Like)”, from his EP, 7, in which he talks about wanting to grow and be free, and not having regrets well into adulthood.
Undisclosed or not, popular music has always had a conflicting relationship with homosexuality – especially in the genre of hip-hop. You wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find a homophobic slur in any one of hip-hop’s most famous tracks, and there’s been discomfort amongst the gay community for years surrounding the casual homophobic slang that has permeated rap lyrics for decades. There’s an opportunity for hip-hop to grow with the ever-progressing music industry, to reject the ignorant stereotype that rap is merely made up of nonsensical words, anti-gay slurs and sexism. Hip-hop tells a story – which is exactly how Lil Nas X chose to speak out about his own experiences with homophobia.
Many artists have kept closeted or believed they could only produce heteronormative stereotypes of masculinity out of of fear of rejection of their fanbases. A turning point in the industry came when Frank Ocean came out as bisexual in 2012, as he became a glaring example of LGBTQ acceptance in the hip-hop genre. His debut album, Channel Orange, hit number two in the Billboard charts within the first week of its release, proving that there’s no reason that the greatness and artistry of a song should change based on whether it was written about – or by – a male or female. Since then, more and more hip-hop artists have begun expressing themselves, opening up a space where every artist can talk about their experiences.
Artists like Lil Nas X are elevating the conversation about what it means to be a Black queer individual in the hip-hop genre, paving the way for a more inclusive music industry as a whole. For years, hip-hop has been a heterosexual, male-dominated domain, and we are beginning to see a shift in the women and men taking ownership of their own sexuality. Songs like “WAP” and “Montero” are continuously being censored, though, despite how progressive society claims itself to be – there is still a loud sect of outraged conservatism within the world of music and beyond. Of course, these issues won’t be solved overnight – but Lil Nas X has made one hell of a start.
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