Lil Nas X claims people would "try to kill" him if he released Montero today
American rapper Lil Nas X reflected on his musical era, back when he released his debut studio album MONTERO in September 2021 and the months of controversy that followed. The music video for the title track, MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) made headlines with scenes showing depictions of hell and the devil, which was deemed sacrilegious content.
The Grammy-winning singer looked back on the MONTERO musical era in the cover feature for Paper magazine, published on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. He said that the reception would have been different if he released the music video in the current political climate, with Donald Trump in office again.
"[If I did that today,] they'd actually try to kill me, like I'm not kidding," he said.
While the song topped the Billboard Hot 100, the visual accompanying it created a lot of media buzz and comments from critics. A 2021 article from Billboard quoted a critic saying that "Lil Nas X is praised for dancing on satan," while someone else pointed out that "the system is targeting kids" and that the rapper's fanbase is "mostly children."
Lil Nas commented on the second critic, per Billboard, claiming that there was "no system involved" and that it was his decision to create the music video. In the CGI-laden MONTERO music video, he ventures from the Garden of Eden before going to Ancient Greece, then pole-dancing down a long stripper pole straight into hell. The visual also showed him lap-dancing on Satan before killing him.
Lil Nas X starts a new musical era with Dreamboy LP
Following the controversial-laden MONTERO era, Lil Nas X is shifting gears with the upcoming release of Dreamboy LP. Recalling his previous hits, he told Paper Magazine in an April 1, 2025 feature that last time, he was "bringing the world" to himself, but this time, he's bringing himself to the world. Describing Dreamboy, he said:
"It's a collection of everything and anything I've ever loved or hated. It's just me going out there and doing me in whichever form I feel."
The MONTERO rapper has been on a tear in the last several months. He's been dropping a series of songs since November, per Billboard, starting with the tracks Light Again and Need Dat Boy before 2024 ended.
He also continued unveiling a string of new singles in 2025, ahead of the Dreamboy album release. He dropped Big Dummy, Swish, Right There, and Hotbox in the same week of March 14.
The rapper also released Lean on Me on March 21. By March 28, he made a surprise drop of the mini album Days Before Dreamboy, an eight-track EP that includes all his previous releases and the Dreamboy title track, which he initially released on March 10.
While Lil Nas X's anticipated sophomore album, Dreamboy, doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, it's expected to drop sometime in 2025. That said, all eight previously released songs are now encapsulated in Days Before Dreamboy, although it's unknown if they will be included in the full-length album.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Lil Nas X's upcoming album.
