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Lil Nas X is breaking new ground. After his record-shattering viral single “Old Town Road,” and last year’s bop, “Holiday,” the 21-year-old rapper is getting incredibly personal on his most recent single. On Thursday, Lil Nas X (neé Montero Lamar Hill) released the music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” with a heartfelt note posted to his Instagram and Twitter accounts. Addressed to his 14-year-old self, he began the letter, “I wrote a song with our name in it.” He continued: “I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist.” He went on to acknowledge that making this declaration publicly is very scary for him. “People will be angry, people will say I am pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. the agenda to make people stay the f**ck out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future.”
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 26, 2021
The video for the song is just as forward-thinking, co-directed by Nas and Tanu Muino, Nas slides down a pole to what appear to be the fiery pits of hell after being seduced by a snake in a purple-drenched Garden of Eden. Lil Nas X stands trial for his crimes but as Entertainment Weekly pointed out, “the concept of sinning is a rash judgment to be simply brushed off the shoulders: “You’re living in the dark boy / I cannot pretend / I’m not fazed / Don’t be here to sin / If you live in your garden / You know that you can call me what you want / Call me what you need.” Amen.
