Lil Nas X thinks conservatives would “try to kill” him he he released ‘Montero’ now.
The 25-year-old singer has reflected on his 2021 hit – which was taken from the album of the same name and accompanied by a video in which he went from the Garden of Eden to ancient Greece and dance on a pole into Hell – and recalled the backlash he faced.
Speaking to Paper magazine, he said: “The world was shifting so much at the time.
“Even right now, [there’s] everything with the young males being taught these super conservative ways.”
With the current landscape of the United States and Donald Trump back in office, Lil Nas X suggested the reaction to that era of his music would be even more fierce in 2025.
He added: “[If I did that today,] they’d actually try to kill me, like I’m not kidding.”
Despite fears over what’s happening in the US, his upcoming album ‘Dreamboy’ – and recent single ‘Light Again’ will try to provide an escape rather than deal with politics.
He explained: “I know a lot of people are very scared in the world right now about all the s*** that’s happening, especially in our own country.
“I don’t want to think about it. I don’t mean that in the sense of being dismissive, but I’m just so f****** tired of being tired of this s***.
“If this song could even for three minutes make somebody just forget what’s going on and just feel some oblivious joy, then so be it.”
Meanwhile, he has also credited Camila Cabello – who he worked with on ‘He Knows’ last summer – with helping him embrace his new era.
He said: “We did a great job at uplifting each other and showing each other how we view the situation and how we view each other from outside of ourselves.
“Once you made up your mind: ‘Oh, the world doesn’t see me as something great or feels like I’ve done anything amazing’…
“To hear [affirmation] from somebody who you greatly respect and you love what they’ve done, it feels great, especially because you can feel like it comes from a genuine place, and not like someone trying to get something from you.”