Lil Nas X’s "Montero" shakes conservatives and inspires others

Lil Nas X has created a conservative hurricane of outrage usually reserved for abortion and Hillary Clinton following the release of his new single. Lil Nas X’s music video “Montero” joins WAP and the MLB in Fox News’ basket of deplorables.

The music video featuring Lil Nas X in tight black briefs, thigh high boots, and bright red braids down his back lap dancing on Satan in the temple of hell was replayed daily on Fox the week after its release. Conservative commentators foamed at the mouth about the death spiral of morality in America, as if their twice-impeached, thrice-married, double-digit sexual assault accused former President never existed.  

Despite the faux outrage, or perhaps because of it, the satanic “Montero” debuted as the number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart the week after Easter.

Lil Nas X’s song earned the number one spot because Montero is a pure expression of Nas X’s authenticity and queerness; the message both unique and relatable.

The music video is made up of three scenes depicting a classic gay journey to self acceptance. 

“Montero” begins with Nas X lounging under a glossy pink and purple tree in his interpretation of the Garden of Eden. We see a snake with lava-like skin slithering toward Nas, stalking its prey. The snake is revealed to also be Nas, but as a DRAG’d up snake with glittery 2-inch nails.

Human Nas flees Snake Nas, but is eventually entranced and seduced by the eyes of homosexuality.

This first scene harkens to a discovery of sexual identity. Gayness creeping up on you, an alien feeling that couldn’t be ignored. It started as a thought, an urge perhaps. And next thing you know you’re crying in the bathroom praying to God to make you straight, or maybe that was just me.

The next phase of gay discovery, self persecution, is artfully showcased in the next scene as Nas in cotton candy pink is led in shackles to the center platform of a colosseum. Nas stands trial for the crime of homosexuality. 

The judges: five Lil Nases in denim power suits and blue Victorian wigs. The jury: a colosseum of marble and metallic Lil Nases jeering the gay man without reservation and pelting the pink Nas with rocks.

As Nas falls to the ground unconscious he begins to ascend into heaven, and boop, he pole dances down to the depths of hell. His angelic visage seamlessly transforms into a demonic queer sex symbol as he gracefully works the pole like only the black gay hip hop artist could. 

I see this snap transition as the deciding moment when Lil Nas X accepts his queerness and makes it authentic to him. 

He then proceeds to grind on Satan, snap his neck, and become the new supreme. Provocative? Absolutely. Meaningful? No doubt. Lil Nas X says to the bigots—if you’re going to demonize me, I’m going to be that demon. Not out of spite, but because it is who I am.

His authenticity and devilish side, also come out in the way he’s marketed his music video. Nas is notorious for his ability to shut down trolls on Twitter. 

Conservative nuisance Kaitlin Bennett, better known as “gun girl,” tweeted after the release of the music video, “It’s weeks like these that I’m thankful to be blocked by Lil Nas X.”

Nas X quote tweeted it saying, “I still see ur tweets shitty pants.” Bennett is often mocked for allegedly pooping her pants at a party at Kent State University, she has denied this claim.

Nas X also fired back at South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem who tweeted Bible verse Matthew 16:26 at him. He responded, “Shoot a child in your mouth while I’m ridin’ - Montero 1:08.” This of course being a lyric about gay sex from his new song.

As if a song about gay sex and devil grinding wasn’t enough to shake conservative pundits to their core, Nas came out with a limited supply of satanic shoes. 

The shoes, which have now been barred from distribution after a lawsuit from Nike, all black with red detailing, the number 666, and a pentagram also contain a drop of human blood.

As insane as it sounds, Nas X’s marketing skills are brilliant. He has taken conservative meltdowns and redirected the flow into streams of sales. 

His strategy works because it isn’t a strategy This is who he is: a fighter for his queer identity, an impenetrable wall of nonsense unshaken by his critics.

The day after Nas X’s song went live, he tweeted a letter he wrote to his 14-year-old self. 

It reads, “dear 14 year old Montero, I wrote a song with our name in it. It’s about a guy I met last summer. I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised never to 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. You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I’m pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the fuck out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future.”

He understands his role and the impact his courage can have on queer people everywhere. Lil Nas X should be an example to everyone: live your truth and allow others to live theirs.