What do you get the person who has everything? Just a few years ago, Lil Nas X wouldn’t have categorized himself as fitting that description, but since then, he’s become an international star thanks to “Old Town Road” and now “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” The rapper will turn 22 years old tomorrow (April 9), and for his birthday, he has asked his fans (and everybody else) for one simple thing.
Lil Nas X took to Twitter today to make a request of all citizens of Earth, declaring, “for my birthday tomorrow i want everybody on the planet to walk outside at 3pm est and twerk to montero simultaneously.”
for my birthday tomorrow i want everybody on the planet to walk outside at 3pm est and twerk to montero simultaneously
Fans can get a head start on that task now with Lil Nas X’s new video game, Twerk Hero. It’s a Guitar Hero– or Dance Dance Revolution-style game in which fans drag the rapper’s rear end (which has some active jiggle physics, to say the least) around and hit the “incoming temptations,” as the game puts it.
“Montero” just recently became Lil Nas X’s first single to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his second chart-topper overall after “Old Town Road.” He celebrated the feat by putting out a new “Montero” video, which shows off behind-the-scenes footage of making the song.
Lil Nas X and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” have been everywhere lately, and now, that includes the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo’s handheld video game console that was discontinued over a decade ago.
A Twitter user known as pynnion shared a 36-second video of some of the “Montero” video playing on a Game Boy Advance system and wrote, “My mom took my phone so I’m watching the call me by your name music video on my gameboy @LilNasX.” The rapper was amazed by what he saw, as he shared the post and tweeted, “how is this real.”
As pynnion noted, this was achieved by using specialized software to convert the original video into a file format the Game Boy Advance can read and then putting the converted file on a “flash cart,” which is essentially a blank Game Boy Advance game cartridge that users can load their own game files onto. Presumably, the video format used is the same one Nintendo used back when they used to make Game Boy Advance Video cartridges that contained movies and episodes of TV shows. Somebody else did this recently when they converted Tenet for Game Boy Advance playback.
Watch “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” playing on a Game Boy Advance above.
Lil Nas X is diversifying his empire. Aside from music, he recently released a best-selling children’s book, C Is For Country. Now he’s getting into video games, as he has released a new one based on his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video, called Twerk Hero.
In the browser game, the player controls a 3D model of Lil Nas X, facing backwards with his hands on his knees, in full twerk position. The player is instructed to “grab the booty and hit the incoming temptations,” and when players drag Lil Nas X’s rear end around, there are some impressive jiggle physics at play as his butt hits incoming quad-directional indicators, much like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution.
Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was easily the defining song of last week-plus, as it was discussed everywhere from Saturday Night Live to Fox News. Now the charts are mirroring that: “Montero” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated April 10. It’s his first single to debut at No. 1 and his second chart-topper ever, following “Old Town Road.” Lil Nas X now just one of a handful of artists with multiple No. 1 singles since 2019.
Lil Nas X celebrated the feat in a number of ways yesterday. One of those was dropping a new video for the song, subtitled “Official Video except its not the official video at all.” As opposed to the high-production original video, this one is a behind-the-scenes video, showing clips of Nas recording the song and spending time with friends and family.
The rapper also had a lot to say on Twitter. His initial reaction was heartfelt, as he wrote, “y’all told a 19 year old who had just escaped the lowest point of his life that he would never have a hit again. you told him to stop while he’s ahead. he could’ve gave up. but 4 multi platinum songs and 2 #1’s later, he’s still here. thank you to my team and my fans! ily.” After some jokes and meme tweets, he later added, “all jokes aside, we get to control our own destiny, never let the world decide it for you. no matter how dark it may look keep f*cking going!”
Check out the new “Montero” video above and find Lil Nas X’s tweets about his latest accomplishment below.
y’all told a 19 year old who had just escaped the lowest point of his life that he would never have a hit again. you told him to stop while he’s ahead. he could’ve gave up. but 4 multi platinum songs and 2 #1’s later, he’s still here. thank you to my team and my fans! ily https://t.co/cW0UiXjJOk
St. Vincent was the musical guest on this past weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, but the show began with nods to Britney Spears and Lil Nas X.
The SNL cold open skit was a talk show hosted by Spears (wonderfully portrayed by Chloe Fineman). Her first guest on the program was Lil Nas X (played by Chris Redd), who spoke about his “Satan shoes” and his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. He explained the backlash to the video, “People are afraid of me because I’m different, but really, I’m just your typical gay, black, country-rap sneaker entrepreneur.” Then, at Spears’ suggestion, she brought out God and Nas gave him a lap dance to “even things out.”
Not long after the skit, Nas took to Twitter to share his thoughts. He tweeted a screenshot from the sketch and offered a tongue-in-cheek caption: “snl going to hell.”
Now that Nas has been parodied on SNL, he just has South Park left. He tried to will an episode of the long-running cartoon about his Satan saga into existence last week when he tweeted, “this gone be a good ass south park episode lmao.”
Lil Nas X is good at the internet — and he should be. At just 21 years old, he was born into a world with social media, smartphones, and all the cultural byproducts inherent to both. He’s a representative member of the first generation to never know a world without PCs, MacBooks, iPhones, and DSPs.
Still, though, he’s better at playing the game than most, a fact best evidenced by the now-well-known circumstances of his rise to stardom. “Old Town Road” didn’t become a mega-hit by accident. Instead, Nas, disillusioned after the lukewarm reception of his debut mixtape Nasarati, shifted gears, putting all of his considerable knowledge and experience at social media trolling into making his country-fried joke song blow up.
Now, those computer troll instincts are again making him the center of attention. Someone less adept at manipulating the narrative and processing the invective he’s taken would crumble under the weight. But Nas, bred in the fires of Stan Twitter flame wars and well-versed in the weird humor of convoluted Reddit memes, has turned every slight against him into another chance to promote “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and its ancillary products.
His gift mirrors that of another colorful and gifted troll who recently lived out his rise and fall in the burning spotlight of internet scrutiny. Tekashi 69 also blew up by playing on social media users’ attraction to controversy. Feeding the algorithms that shove outrage fodder in our faces 24/7, the New Yorker goaded opponents, leaned all the way into his role as a hip-hop heel, and kept up a steady stream of new material to capitalize on the trainwreck quality of his online persona.
Of course, we all know what that got him. While he continues trolling establishment rap media and other artists, the effect is beginning to show diminishing returns. The nonstop negativity he generates may have a sideshow quality, but eventually, there’s only so much you can gawk at the bearded lady before you get bored and look around for something else. In contrast, Lil Nas X is doing the opposite: Using his troll powers for good — or maybe for redemption.
After all, those skills were honed at the cost of childish jokes at the expense of marginalized groups back when Nas just ran a Nicki Minaj stan account. Like many of the Barbz online, he could be seen lashing out at just about any target. Yet, in light of his coming out as gay and knowing the angst that comes along with hiding your identity, his past behavior is understandable, if not acceptable. Hurt people hurt people.
Behind just about every nasty troll comment is insecurity; Nas eventually came to terms with his and is now using his wicked sense of humor to thrash his detractors — people he can likely relate to on some level as a result of his prior experiences — with sarcastic wit and cleverly-planned rollouts that use their criticisms as free promotion.
So when his music video’s Luciferian lapdance prompted accusations of devil worship, Nas judo-flipped those complaints by pointing out the fire-and-brimstone recriminations that have been leveled at queer people for the past century — and that he’s not the first to use such imagery, highlighting the potential hidden agendas of those accusers. When his customized Nike Air Max collaboration with MSCHF was demeaned by Fox News, he smoothly noted the hypocrisy of freedom-of-speech advocates with a humorous knock on Chick-Fil-A’s proud support of anti-gay groups and legislation. The shoes sold out in 60 seconds, adding insult to injury for his haters.
By offering up this provocation, not only does Nas generate streams, views, and ultimately, dollar signs, he also provides an example that he didn’t have growing up: A gay, Black man standing up to the establishment — and winning. He’s laying a blueprint for the kid who feels that they can’t be themselves without facing persecution, who would otherwise turn into the bullies they feared through online trolling.
The anonymity the internet provides allows the opportunity for reinvention, but it also incentivizes our worst impulses. Clap backs get the most engagement, algorithms guide lost souls down dangerous roads of conspiracy theory and hatred, and outrage is more valuable than Bitcoin, DogeCoin, and Ethereum put together. What Lil Nas X has done with “Montero” and his so-called “Satan Shoes” has exposed these tendencies and silently invoke the query, “What are you going to do about it?”
By calling out the silliness of outrage culture, he’s also subtly calling out the absence of anything better — and challenging us to create that missing alternative. For every hell, there must be a heaven; if Lil Nas X’s fantastical video bothers you so much, maybe you need to find somewhere positive to put that energy. After all, you’re unlikely to see a pair of those Air Max 97s out in public and you won’t have to watch the “Montero” video unless you go to YouTube searching for it. That’s the thing about trolls; the more you feed them, the stronger they get. At least this one is trying to make the world a slightly better place.
Lil Nas X has pretty much had the entertainment world in the palm of his hands since he released his video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” last week. Think pieces from all over were written, but the singer is taking it all in stride, trolling his critics in response. Things worsened when he unveiled the footwear line “Satan Shoes” mere days after the song arrived, but even a lawsuit from Nike didn’t faze him.
There was one other piece of criticism: Some said the new video bore similarities to FKA Twigs’ 2019 video for “Cellophane,” namely the part where he descends to hell on a stripper pole. However, the director of FKA Twigs’ video, Andrew Thomas Huang, wasn’t so quick to accuse the “Old Town Road” singer of theft.
I’m a fan of @LilNasX. “Old Town Road” is iconic. Sharing collaborators is common. Seeing the “Cellophane” choreographer collab with Lil Nas X is awesome (love a Satan dance). Sharing aesthetics and paying homage is part of the creative process. Collective consciousness exists.
“I’m a fan of @LilNasX. “Old Town Road” is iconic,” Huang wrote over Twitter. “Sharing collaborators is common. Seeing the ‘Cellophane’ choreographer collab with Lil Nas X is awesome (love a Satan dance). Sharing aesthetics and paying homage is part of the creative process. Collective consciousness exists.” He added, “Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of ‘Cellophane,’ from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. ‘Cellophane’ was a confession in the most vulnerable sense.”
Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of “Cellophane,” from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. “Cellophane” was a confession in the most vulnerable sense.
Huang then discussed the work that was put into the “Cellophane” video. “Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of ‘Cellophane,’ from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. ‘Cellophane’ was a confession in the most vulnerable sense,” he said. “When an artist is in a position of power (amplified with the help of major record labels, social media, PR, etc) and repurposes someone’s labor and ideas to serve their brand image, they cause harm by displacing the efforts of the artists who did the original leg work.”
Intentional or not, copying other artists’ work happens. Making music videos is a labor of love. The demand for content pushed by major labels renders our work disposable and pits artists against each other.
Huang then shifted his attention to major records labels like Columbia, to which Lil Nas is signed, and asked that they do a better job of enforcing artistic integrity with their creatives. “I urge the music community, particularly major record labels like @ColumbiaRecords to respect directors, uphold artistic accountability and honor the ingenuity of artists dedicating their blood sweat and tears to imagine better futures amidst a broken industry,” he said, adding, “We can do better.”
Over the past few days, Lil Nas X has proven yet again that he knows how to get all sorts of reactions out of all sorts of people. With his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video and his controversial sneakers (both of which are Satan-themed), he has delighted some onlookers while making others irate. Now, he is hoping that his story will inspire an episode from a show that gets similar reactions out of its fans and haters: South Park.
This afternoon, Nas seemingly tried to will an episode of the show into existence by tweeting, “this gone be a good ass south park episode lmao.”
A South Park episode about Nas’ new controversy certainly isn’t outside of the realm of possibility. The show is made quickly, which allows Trey Parker and Matt Stone to tackle specific contemporary topics: Just this month, they released a special episode about the coronavirus vaccine. Meanwhile, Satan is actually a recurring character on South Park, so it’s not like an appearance from the devil would be out of the ordinary.
There’s certainly a lot of source material to work with: The maker of the “Satan shoes” is reportedly being sued by Nike and the Church Of Satan is on board with what Nas has been up to.
Over the weekend, Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth speculated that Nike might have grounds to sue Lil Nas X collaborator MSCHF over its “Satan shoes” — customized Nike Air Max 97s supposedly featuring a drop of blood mixed with red ink in each of the 666 pair’s Air Max units — made to promote Nas’ new single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Well, it looks like the sneaker giant really has done just that, with New York Times Sports reporter Kevin Draper posting a copy of the first page of a lawsuit filed in New York’s Eastern District for trademark infringement, false designation of origin/unfair competition, and trademark dilution.
It’s not an entirely unusual move for Nike, which jealously guards its trademarks but usually allows for customizers and collaborators to sell limited runs of its sneaker models. Just recently, Nike settled a lawsuit with streetwear brand Warren Lotas, which sold a lookalike sneaker it collaborated with Jeff Staple on. The “Illegal Fake” sneakers toyed with the design of the Nike Dunk, transforming the trademark swoosh into a hockey goalie mask a la Jason Voorhees of the Friday The 13th franchise. However, rather than going to court, Warren Lotas agreed to cease production and sale of its shoe and refrain from creating similar designs in the future.
As MSCHF and Lil Nas used Air Max 97s to create their controversial sneaker and judging from the confusion displayed on Fox News and in other outlets, something similar could happen here, although there are some differences as well. MSCHF didn’t create a new sneaker similar to Nike’s, it simply bought and customized several pairs of the existing shoe. Still, MSCHF may not want to go toe-to-toe in court with the behemoth brand and choose to settle as well. However, they won’t have to pull shoes from any shelves; according to Lil Nas X, all 666 pairs sold out within a minute of availability.
Lil Nas X’s collaborator on those controversial “Satan shoes,” MSCHF, is living up to its name. The design collective’s marketing for the customized Air Max 97 has certainly riled up a fair number of commentators, including Fox News’ Pete Hegseth. The Fox & Friends anchor bit the bait hard, censuring Nike over the shoes and making a false equivalence to a planned pair of Air Max 1s that was discontinued and recalled by the shoe giant over its use of the original, 13-star version of the American flag.
Of course, Hegseth missed the part where Nike wasn’t directly involved in the creation of MSCHF’s limited-edition pair and was promptly fact-checked by none other than Adam Klotz, the show’s weekend meteorologist. He pointed out that “they’re not really Nike. They’re Nike shoes, but there’s a middleman who bought Nike shoes and turned them into these.” To save face, Hegseth posited that the manufacturer could file a lawsuit against the customizer, which … no, man. Just, no.
Missed this from yesterday’s Fox & Friends: they were talking about Lil Nas X and the satan shoes thing. Pete Hegseth had to be corrected by the weather guy. Just A+ all around. pic.twitter.com/7ZbVBj1gJv
As far as the story behind those Betsy Ross Air Max 1 goes, those were discontinued by the brand itself after Colin Kaepernick, one of Nike’s most prominent spokespeople, reached out to the company’s leadership with concerns about the old flag’s repurposed connotations. He wasn’t the only one; users on social media also called on Nike to reconsider the design, pointing out how its behind appropriated by some white supremacist groups due to its connection to the nation’s early history when slavery was still legal.
Meanwhile, Nike had just taken flak from conservative groups, including Fox News, over partnering with Kaepernick after his protest of the national anthem at football games. In both cases of conservative backlash, the targets of their complaints would appear to be the victors; not only did Nike boast a 4% sales increase in 2019, Lil Nas X’s customized sneakers sold out within a minute of going on sale.
(@LilNasX) April 8, 2021
