Over the years, Lil Nas X has dealt with his fair share of criticism over his creative choices, and the star is reflecting on how things would be even worse in today’s political climate.
The Grammy-winning singer appears on the most recent Paper cover, where he opened up about his music videos for “J Christ” and his Hot 100 chart-topper “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” both of which featured biblical themes. For example, in the CGI-laden “Montero” video, Lil Nas X ventures from the Garden of Eden to ancient Greece before dancing down a stripper pole into hell, where he gives Satan a lap dance before ultimately killing him.
“The world was shifting so much at the time,” Lil Nas X says of the criticism he received. “Even right now, [there’s] everything with the young males being taught these super conservative ways.”
The sentiment hits closer to home with Donald Trump back in office, and the trans community continues to be attacked in the government. Reflecting on his controversy-heavy musical era, Lil Nas X added: “[If I did that today,] they’d actually try to kill me, like I’m not kidding.”
For his next musical era, Lil Nas X is shifting gears, releasing a slew of high energy singles off his upcoming Dreamboy LP, including the dance-y “Light Again” track. “I’m a bubbly, fun b—-,” he says, before adding more seriously, “I know a lot of people are very scared in the world right now about all the s— that’s happening, especially in our own country. I don’t want to think about it. I don’t mean that in the sense of being dismissive, but I’m just so f—ing tired of being tired of this s—. If this song could even for three minutes make somebody just forget what’s going on and just feel some oblivious joy, then so be it.”
Dreamboy is set to arrive sometime this year.
