Lil Nas X dropped his eagerly-awaited new single on Friday: ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’.
It was accompanied by a lavish video that has racked up over 25million views on YouTube and sent some right-wing conservatives and evangelicals into meltdown: Chiefly because the gay rapper slides down a pole into Hell and gives Satan a lapdance.
Related: Lil Nas X gives a lap dance to Satan in bonkers new video
However, among those to give it their blessing was his father. The rapper, real name Montero Lamar Hill, shared a text message he received from his pa.
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“Very creative video,” his father began, diplomatically. “I got through it 😂😂 Congratulations. Live life on YOUR terms. Very PROUD of you.”
Lil Nas X caption the image, “lmaoo love this man.”
lmaoo love this man pic.twitter.com/IoZB8QELi5
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 26, 2021
In 2019, Lil Nas X said that coming out to his father and mother as gay had been “nerve-racking” and comparable to ripping off a Band-Aid.
He later said that his coming out had been a “shock” for his dad but that it had ultimately brought them closer together as he no longer had anything to hide. He has spoken of having a more difficult relationship with his mother as she has addiction issues.
Besides the reaction from his dad, Lil Nas X’s video has prompted hundreds of thousands of comments online. Some evangelicals have blasted the performer and accused him of Satanism. Lil Nax X has taken it all in his stride and suggested he was very used to being on the receiving end of hate from so-called Christians.
On Saturday, in a tweet that’s had over 400,000 likes, he explained “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the shit y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.”
i spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the shit y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 27, 2021
To accompany the video, fans can buy a limited-edition Nike sneaker (limited to 666 pairs), with a pentangle brooch on the front. Again, this has been met with accusations of devil-worshipping.
The rapper posted an arch video that promised apologies but actually doubled down.
Lil Nas X Apologizes for Satan Shoe https://t.co/bQ1hbmHQqh pic.twitter.com/hM5vsLRSAk
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
The sneakers, in particular, prompted criticism from South Dakota’s Republican Governor, Kristi Noem.
Posting a tweet with images of the sneakers to Twitter, Noem said, “Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it’s “exclusive.” But do you know what’s more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul. We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win.”
Lil Nas X told her to stop tweeting about shoes and get on with her job.
ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do ur job! https://t.co/qaor6W0B9C
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
Related: Lil Nas X posts semi-nude artwork for his latest single
Yesterday, right-wing pastor Greg Locke was among those to attack the performer for his latest work. Locke labeled it a “bunch of Satanism, a bunch of wickedness, bunch of devilism, bunch of demonism, bunch of psychotic wickedness.”
Lil Nas X was so impressed by the rant he said he intended to sample it.
i’m sampling this https://t.co/H2mlZs9YkW
— nope 🏹 (@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
Celtic
Meghan McCain is a bleached-out, big mouth bitch who would be no one were it not for her father, John McCain. Meghan is full-on disgusting and she “ain’t” all the purdy either.
strap2900
These people need to be more informed ( as always). Satanists, do not believe in the devil, nor worship him. They are just against the hateful, discriminatory, religious rhetoric and hypocrisy of Christians.
Den
Not entirely true. There are philosophic Satanists, followers of Anton LaVey, who believe as you say: considering Satan as a symbol rather than a diety. They are the ones who have championed actual religious freedom and freedom of speech against evangelicals and their ilk.
But there are also a surprising number of Theistic Satanists who believe in an actual Satan as the god of this physical realm. Totally ridiculous as Satan is entirely a Christian or Muslim construct. There is no equivalent individual in Tanakh (Jewish Scripture).
yendor808
Go for it Lil Nas X! The more right-wing evangelical repub heads you cause to explode, the better. Keep dishing it out, bruddah!
MISTERJETT
SAY IT, SAY IT, SAY IT, SAY IT AGAIN!!!!
MISTERJETT
i liked it when i first saw it, but knowing that right-wing conservatives and evangelicals have a problem with it, i love it, love it, love it!!!!!
The real Bruce
I saw the video and really, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s Lil Nas X, NOT BARRY MANILOW!! Kinda hot with the seduction scenes. No wonder evangelical’s heads are imploding. I do find the concept of the shoes a bit much though. And now he’s facing the music that’s not his own. Careful little bro.
ScottOnEarth
I’m sure his dad is VERY proud of him……and the money his son is going to make. LOL.
Leash
Not my kind of music, but I love what he’s doing. I hope all the shit he is getting is really not getting to him and he continues to piss them off even more.
wiggie
shoes sold out in one minute of being launched. Guess they had no problem when the same company made Jesus shoes with the same Nike shoe as the base
whateverokok
Let me guess; a low rent talentless hack puts out wasted space of music that offends some and all the gays go crazy for it. Their defense is, “it has a beat and I can dance to it”. The music that Edie Brickell and New Bohemians puts out has a beat and one can dance to it, but you don’t see gays going gag gag for it, now do you? Good.You can keep your trash.