The most controversial part of this video, and one of the reasons Lil Nas is at the forefront of the media, is that he changes his look to a darker, more seductive aesthetic.
When Lil Nas X is met with Ganymede, he is stopped and gets cast down to Hell, segueing into the third and final act of the video.
Ganymede is a male angel that has turned into a symbol of homosexuality within Greek Mythology. He is then seen floating up to heaven, but he gets stopped by a male angel named Ganymede. He is seen shackled and being dragged by two of himself, dressed the same and wearing baby blue wigs. Throughout the second act, he is dressed in a bubblegum-colored Marie Antoinette-Esque wig and simple face makeup. When Lil Nas X gets seduced by the serpent that approaches him, he goes to the Colosseum to learn what his fate is. In the video, you can see references to the Garden of Eden, where it is referred to as “Montero.” The symbolic relevance of the names relates to the concept where sexuality is referred to as evil and sinful, and the point of this visual is to show Lil Nas X coming to terms with his sexuality. It takes place in a symbolic rendering of the Garden of Eden, The Colosseum and Hell. The video is split up into three parts with three different settings. Throughout the three-minute video, you see Lil Nas X playing almost every character in the video, symbolizing his journey of finding himself and coming to terms with his sexuality. The music video is the main root of the controversy, as the song is rich in symbolism and thematic importance stemming from Greco-Roman influences and Medieval Christianity. In a Genius interview, Lil Nas X explained that, although Montero is his real name, it is a reference to a past love of his.īut the title is not what sparked a media frenzy.
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The title of his new single derives, partially, from the movie “Call Me By Your Name,” a gay love story starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, where the characters fall in love and show appreciation for each other by calling each other by their own names.
In June 2019, Lil Nas X came out as gay, and since then he has been an activist in the LGBTQ+ community, sharing his story of acceptance and fame. Following the 2019 release of his EP, which included his two hits, “Panini” and “Old Town Road,” both the remix and the original, he released a stand-alone single called “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Unfaithful relationships, the use of hard drugs and living life as if it were a movie where you were the main character was the true meaning of the song. In the second verse, he starts to rap about what happens after the desired rockstar lifestyle is achieved. But the meanings of some verses have been disregarded until Lil Nas X’s new song has been released. Throughout this song, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus explain what the rockstar lifestyle is like and how you have to start at the bottom and build yourself up. “Old Town Road” was on the Billboard Hot 100 list for 19 weeks straight and paved its way to winning “Best Duo/Group” performance and “Best Music Video” at the 2020 Grammy Music Awards. In 2019, Lil Nas X debuted in the world of music with a collaborative piece featuring country star and father of Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus.
But was the song itself the spark of controversy? On March 26, up-and-coming rapper Lil Nas X released one of the most controversial songs of the year. Controversy has struck the music industry once again.