Lil Nas X has last word as controversy erupts over 'devil-worshipping' video
It has been four days since Lil Nas X released the music video for Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and turned into the most controversial pop star on the planet. The video, which features the rapper sliding down a pole to hell before giving the devil a lap dance, has garnered criticism from conservative politicians and commentators, who say the song encourages devil worshiping and scandalizes young fans.
In a note written to his younger self about the release, Lil Nas X (whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill) said he had created the video hoping to further normalize queerness. “I know we promised to never 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,” he said.
“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.”
With the release of the video, which has more than 45m views on YouTube, Lil Nas X has reminded fans and critics that he is a product of the internet. Just as he used social media to go viral with Old Town Road, he’s spent the past few days sharing memes about his newest single and promoting Satan Shoes, a pair of modified Nike Air Max 97s that display a pentagram and contain “a drop of human blood”.
And that includes responding to people who don’t support his music. When the rightwing activist Candace
Owens criticized him for promoting the shoes, Lil Nas X replied: “You know you did something right when she talks about it.
Here are a few of the times Lil Nas X has hit back:
When the South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem, condemned the shoes, tweeting that the country was “in a fight for the soul of our nation” …
Another tweet sent by Noem featured a Bible verse and elicited another tweet from the rapper. This time, he included an explicit lyric from the song, citing it as if it were a Bible verse.
When the rapper Joyner Lucas criticized Lil Nas X for releasing the new music video without a disclaimer and exposing kids to inappropriate content …
“I think the biggest problem for me is the fact he dont understand “old town road” is every kids anthem. Children love him for that record. They tuned in and subscribed to his channels. So with no disclaimer he just dropped some left field ish & all our kids seen it. Smh,” Lucas wrote in the since-deleted tweet.
Lil Nas X reminded Lucas that, despite the hit being loved by children, Old Town Road isn’t exactly a clean song.
When a Fox News commentator referred to the video as “desperate and pathetic” …
The artist delighted in the outrage. “What’s most outrageous is the timing of this. It was intentionally dropped on the eve of Holy Week. Try this with any other religious group than Christians during their Holy Week and Nas might find himself sliding down that pole for real,” the commentator said.
Lil Nas X’s reply:
When a pastor referred to the song as a “bunch of devil-worshipping, wicked nonsense” …
Lil Nas X responded as any smart rapper would:
an orgasm and now I don’t enjoy being naked or being touched. Despite this, we get on so well and I see a future for us together.
It is a mistake to go ahead and put up with sex when you really don’t want it. Your feelings – including the lack of them – are valid. In just going through the motions, you can set up an emotionally costly habit ofbypassing your true feelings in order to please others.
Your needs for comforting touch are just as important as his sexual needs, so do your best to negotiate a more balanced give-and-take between you. It is also important to discover the reason for your general lack of sexual interest. Many people are experiencing low sexual drive at the moment, due to Covid-related fear, anxiety and depression. But if you have never felt attracted to him, and if your lack of interest in sex with him continues over time, that may be a sign that he is simply not for you, or that you might benefit from a sexual wellness check-up.
Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders.
If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to private.lives@theguardian.com (please don’t send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online and in print. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions: see gu.com/letters-terms.
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