Lil Nas X and Evangelical Consumption
Story by Holt Templeton and Antonio Gomez, photograph via Lil Nas X's "Montero (Call Me by Your Name" music video and Twitter (@LilNasX)
When Montero “Lil Nas X” Lamar Hill’s breakout track “Old Town Road” gained traction in March of 2019, it became clear that the rapper’s career would be inexorably laden with controversy. At the time, such controversy largely centered around that particular song’s inclusion on Billboard’s country charts. Is it country enough to be on the country charts? Or is it just a hip-hop song? Or are people just upset that a black man has invaded a conventionally white musical genre? Such were the questions and pontifications of the Twitterverse of yore.
Fast forward to Spring of 2021 and Hill is once more making headlines with a new line of Satan-themed shoes created in collaboration with a fashion collective MSCHF. Featuring a gold pentagram, purportedly human blood, and a check-shaped swoosh eerily reminiscent of Nike’s logo, the shoe drew the ire of conservative critics. Also among those offended by the shoes was Nike itself who, as of now, is pursuing legal action over what the company perceives as damage to its brand. Around the same time, the rapper released a new single titled “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” drawing even more negative attention from conservative critics and pundits over its themes of homosexuality coupled with overt satanic imagery in the track’s accompanying music video.
“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,” tweeted South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, replying to a tweet advertising the aptly named “Satan Shoes.” Along with Noem, other names such as pundit/influencer/controversy-mongerer Candace Owens have voiced their condemnation of the shoes and music. Owens actually went so far as to accuse the diabolic sneakers of being a symptom of Black America’s failure. Rapper Joyner Lucas praised Lil Nas X’s recent effort, but provided a point of criticism being that children, many of whom comprised the audience of Hill’s last breakout hit “Old Town Road,” will listen to “Montero,” and be exposed to its not-so-child-friendly content. Big names aside, a large number of Christian evangelicals took to decrying the new song and shoes as blasphemy, with many claiming that they will boycott Nike despite Nike not actually designing or producing the shoes.
So how do Nas and his fans respond to the criticism? With humor and sincerity. The battlefield being Twitter made it the perfect medium to gage the popularity of responses on both ends. Their wit allowed them to dominate the Twitter trending page with clever responses to many critics including those mentioned earlier. But humor aside, when discussing the controversy, Nas was able to appeal emotionally to many queer youth, releasing a letter to his fourteen-year-old self who was still "in the closet." The note is a heartfelt depiction of confidence and hope which inspired countless youths. Consistently, the communities Nas brought together have also aligned themselves with a positive and inclusive narrative. So why has the reaction been so negative?
Much of the controversy comes back to the same discussion about evangelical consumption. Many critics argue that it is disgusting to openly express satanic imagery and include sexual implications in popular media. But Nas has been very open about his intended audience; this is not made for children and it is not made for those who will take it literally and find it offensive. Critics are simply not willing to come to terms with those intentions and would rather focus on the imagery itself. Yet, the most clear sign of critics’ ignorance is with the very imagery in the music video. Nas kills the devil, symbolizing conquering his own demons. One can argue that illustrating Hell or the Devil is bad in its own right, but other popular media does that constantly with little repercussions. Similarly, depictions of sexual activities are commonplace. It seems that what makes the pole dancing scene in this music video different is that it is not a woman dancing on the pole. Homophobia and toxic masculine gender roles were the leading reasons why people criticized the scene.
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” has faced the backlash it has because it is a queer, black man including all aspects of his identity and frustrations in a piece of mainstream art. The song acts as a reminder that not all media is meant to pander to evangelical audiences, nor should it be expected to. Its ability to top charts despite criticism is a testament to its inspiring impact on fans and other artists alike.
