Flipping gender and hip-hop stereotypes on their heads, Lil Nas X has created a universe called ‘Montero’ which we’re all invited to join

Simply titled Montero—like his birth name—the highly anticipated debut album of young American rap superstar Lil Nas X is intended to give fans a chance to get to know the real Lil Nas X, his emotions, as well as his upbringing. In an interview with Apple Music, he explains that with Montero “[listeners] are getting a lot of my past and where I want to be in my love life” and that he tries to balance making hit songs with making music that is “as real as possible”. The album incorporates a number of guest artists who, too, are known for breaking rules and bashing stereotypes in the same artistic space. They include Doja Cat, Meghan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus and Sir Elton John.

Album art for ‘Montero’ (Photo: Courtesy of FB @lilnasx)

Since coming into the spotlight, Lil Nas X has been something of a magnet for critcism and controversy. After his first hit song, Old Town Road, became an international success, he came out publicly as gay on his Twitter. The jokes, memes, and even hate followed, and while many celebrities would have probably chosen to lay low for a while, the 22-year-old has never been one to shy away from the conversation, especially when it’s about self-expression. 

In one of his music videos, the artist dances naked in a locker room with other male dancers who are also nude. In another, he puts on thigh-high platform boots and then proceeds to give a lap dance to the Devil himself. As promotion for the album Montero, Lil Nas X announced the record by getting pregnant (applying realistic prosthetics to give himself the image of being with child)—a metaphor of the album being his baby. He knows full well that expressing his creativity through his sexual identity and sex itself will make many within the hip-hop scene uncomfortable or even angry, but instead of complying, he chose to crank it up to eleven.

Photo: Courtesy of FB @lilnasx

Fans, especially those from the LGBTQ+ community, have expressed gratitude for Lil Nas’ brand of representation in mainstream media. Not only is he doing the equivalent of giving the bird to his haters, he is also just being unapologetically himself in an industry that has traditionally manufactured its stars to its own specifications. As a gay, black man in a heteronormative society and musical space, he inspires many to live and display their truth without paying mind to what others think.

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