I know that there is the trope that as one gets older, they usually become a bit of a curmudgeon. They gatekeep tastes and tell the younger generation that their tastes in this and that are awful, that they don’t know what true art is. Yes, I find this approach to life obnoxious, but it’s one that becomes pretty funny when I look at myself in relation to this. Sure, I have art that speaks to me that others would decide to ignore. It spoke to me at a formative time in my life, and there’s no denying that it plays a big impact on why I’m still hitting replay.
But I’ve found as I’ve gotten older that in some ways I envy the next generation, the one that’s more commonly referred to as Generation Z, or Gen. Z. For as much of their art that I don’t understand, there’s a lot that I greatly respect. Beyond the sound, the music itself encapsulates a shifting tide in how society talks about a whole host of issues. Suddenly it’s fine that a Broadway musical can talk about mental health so candidly. There is an open discourse on TikTok about a whole host of issues that in some ways makes my mind more open than it was at their age.
And then there’s Lil Nas X.
I will confess that when “Old Town Road” was out, I didn’t think much of it. To me, it was just another vapid pop song that crossed over country and hip-hop with one of the hookiest pop songs of the year. It somehow struck me as a Bro Country™ track meant for people who hang out on tailgates with red solo cups. Who was this random kid singing with the Achy Breaky Heart guy?
But… as time went on, I began to realize that he was the ultimate symbol of how things had changed. I think back to 20 years ago when t.A.T.u. sang “All the Things She Said” and how scandalous it was that these two fake lesbians were kissing in the rain. Yes, there was a fetishistic quality to it, but queerness in pop culture was largely performative. Even 10 years ago there was Tyler the Creator openly saying homophobic comments before revealing that he was gay. There was so much pressure for art to follow a heteronormative that any glitch in the matrix sent people into a frenzy. I applaud those who were gay in light of the potential backlash, being their authentic selves in ways that might sacrifice careers or even personal ties.
I’m not about to say that Lil Nas X cured homophobia, but there is something about his approach that makes it hard not to love him more. While it’s surprising enough that “Montero” and “Industry Baby” are actually really good songs, this victory lap has been met with such strong acclaim that surprises me. For once, the open and defiant gay kid won the day. He’s able to navigate the internet, creating subversive commentary through antagonizing his critics. When DaBaby released a very problematic song the same week, Lil Nas X took the high road and suggested that they might be gay too. Basically, he’s taking down hyper-masculinity the only way you should, which is to poke holes in their shields. In the short run he's won, as DaBaby has currently lost seven major gigs and radio play.
I won’t call myself an obsessive fan of Lil Nas X nor have I heard more than three songs by him. However, this past summer has been such a memorable time to be alive that I’m eager to hear his album. He’s building anticipation better than just about any other musician right now. Sure you can call a lot of what he does to be performative theatrics, but he feels so in control of it this time. He isn’t being exploited or cheapened. Every idea feels like it was his and the only reason you’d have a problem with it is if you are jealous. Whereas previous generations had to hide their sexuality for the sake of success, where Disney still can’t seem to make 3D gay characters, he’s just out there playing into the tropes and somehow tearing them apart.
In all seriousness, the part that continues to surprise me about “Industry Baby” is that there is a dance scene set in a shower full of naked backup dancers. Again, when I was a child a wlw kiss was enough to be considered profane. To some extent, the TV series Oz also reflected that showers were a vulnerable place for those who weren’t masculine. And yet, here he is doing a dance routine that is jarring visually but funny. Whereas naked women wouldn’t cause censors to bat much of an eye, I’m sure this bothered a few people. Lil Nas X knows it did, and yet he does it anyway just because he can use it as a middle finger. You want him to go to hell or prison, and here he is having the time of his life regardless. You can’t knock him down.
Add in that there was a brilliant shoe gimmick that preceded the video where he filled shoes with "devil’s blood" and sold them, there feels like a whole narrative playing out in the media. He knows how to ruffle feathers while proving a point.
Is this a side effect of living in the age of YouTube, where artists can cut corners and not rely on the record labels for success? I’m jealous of anyone who can transcend these boundaries and have a viable career. It’s arguable that Lil Nas X musically is not the most groundbreaking, but lyrically he continues to surprise. Then again, he had a free pass following the time that “Old Town Road” become one of the biggest songs of the year and by the end of that June he came out as gay. Was it an act of antagonism? Sure, but it was also a chance to turn the conservatives’ faces red who thought they were finally cool enough to sit with rappers (also, I’d argue the chorus is a play on “Gonna take my whores to the hotel room and ride till I can’t no more” which is five-star trolling).
To be honest, the only real conflict I have with “Industry Baby” is the general premise. On a personal level, I do not like using prison imagery in a sexualized condition. I think it sets a negative idea of what prison ultimately is and only stigmatizes it more. I am by no means an expert on practices within the penitentiary, but the idea of emasculating men with threats of rape is crass. It is more evident in DaBaby’s video where he willingly has sex with women and comically shows feeble men being thrown into a chaotic gang. Even the use of Jack Harlow in “Industry Baby” plays into what I dislike, though in Lil Nas X’s context, it kind of works in spite of itself.
I think it succeeds because metaphorically, he’s in a prison of trying to be true to himself within an industry that strives for success. But what is success in 2021? How could he ever hope to top his previous hit, especially when it was such a vapid accomplishment? Sure the lyrics are borderline generic task ordering, but there’s clearly this effort to create something greater. He wants more Grammy’s, more number one hits, and the respect of his peers. It’s the struggle to be considered valid in the industry even as he defies their playbook. As an artist first and foremost, it makes sense. He needs to avoid the Sophomore Slump. That’s why watching him lift weights and polish his awards work as this deeper symbolism, a comedic beat within the confines of a place usually meant to be submissive.
As a straight-up dance song, it’s still really good. While there are references to his queerness, it’s secondary to the song’s bigger message. There’s so much refreshing in that detail, where he’s doing so much more to question what a pop star can look like. When he has men twerk on him, holding onto his phallic pockets, he’s playing on decades-old tropes, putting them on their heads and showing his agency. Yes, it’s all smutty and a bit stupid, but it’s much better than being too precious. He’s not a victim. He’s the leader of this prison, so in control that even the security guard is watching his music videos.
When we look back at the career of Lil Nas X, I will honestly admit that the first word I come up with is “surprising.” He still feels like a one hit wonder by nature. Someone this eccentric and vocal about who they are used to come and go. It’s the fear of fading into irrelevance, so it makes sense that he’s challenging every facet of his career while he can. When tomorrow isn’t promised, it makes sense that he wants to make “Montero” about him giving Satan a lap dance, or have a sequence with naked backup dancers in a shower. In some ways his choice to trivialize the gay panic tropes is brilliant, and his confidence only makes him harder to ignore.
As someone who’s fairly new in their open queerness, there is something at times inspiring about artists who go far beyond my comfort zone. I don’t have to agree with everything they do while respecting their desire to push the envelope, making us ask why certain things make us uncomfortable. In some ways, Lil Nas X belongs in the conversation with John Waters for how successful he is in making the heteronormative uncomfortable. He’s pushing for acceptance while noticing how absurd certain forms of heteronormativity actually are. Hopefully, they will soon be destroyed soon enough.
I can’t promise you that Lil Nas X will be around in a decade or even five years. However, his run at 2021 alone will hopefully be looked back fondly, reminding us of a wild time that broke the mold. He wasn’t just kissing boys. He was asking why Black gay men should be emasculated instead of celebrated. I hope he’s a commentator, able to grow older, and have many more stories to share. I hope he inspires future generations to be comfortable in their own skin.
If anything, I want the LGBTQIA+ representation of the future to look back on 2001 and think of how strange and different it was. It wasn’t that it didn’t exist, but it was such a caricature of what it is now. It warms my heart, hoping that there will be dozens of rainbow flags flying year round. In that way, Gen. Z seems pretty great. I may not agree with everything you do, but every now and then small things shine through making me believe that the future is in safe hands. Don’t let us down. If nothing else, I want that “Montero” album to be a real banger that gets me through The Fall. I think that should be the only way to end his story.
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