Need a couple number ones, Need a plaque on every song:
The narrative of Lil Nas X
Introduction
On December 3, 2018, 20-year-old Lil Nas X released his debut single "Old Town Road.” On April 5, 2019, the remix of the song featuring Billy Ray Cyrus was released. The song gained widespread popularity via social media and stayed on the Billboard charts for 19 weeks (Rosenblatt, 2019). Since the notoriety of “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has only risen in fame and popularity.
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In June 2019, Nas came out as gay via Twitter. This was met with support from fans and other musicians within the industry (Rosenblatt, 2019). It was seen as a moment of authenticity, and following it, Nas became more open in his discussions on sexuality.
In March 2021, Nas released his single "Montero," a song about a romantic hookup (GwandaCentral, 2021). He released a saucy music video featuring religious iconography and parallels alongside the single in which Nas takes on the role of several biblical figures— Eve, the serpent that tempts her, and the devil (Lil Nas X, 2021). The music video was met with widespread praise and criticism (GwandaCentral, 2021), but through it all, Nas stayed on top, gracefully clapping back at haters with the wit and quips that are associated with his online interactions.
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Lil Nas X has created a persona of someone who is not only confident in his identity, but authentic in it as well. As a black gay man in the music industry, he is breaking many ceilings and setting precedents within the music industry for how people like him should be treated.
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This research examines the narrative surrounding Lil Nas X as presented by six publications: Slate, Pitchfork, Vulture, Genius, Billboard, Rolling Stone. Discussions of his sexuality and ethnicity, as well as his reputation for handling controversy by poking fun at himself and others, are our main focus. The relationship between Nas and religion is also examined. Nas has stated that using religious iconography is a way of reclaiming the church institutions that made him feel ashamed of being gay while growing up (GwandaCentral, 2021). All of these elements combine to form a complete picture of a musician who is fully in control of his narrative.
RQ1: In what ways did Slate, Vulture, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pitchfork, and Genius portray Lil Nas X’s challenging of heteronormativity with his music?
RQ2: In what ways did Slate, Vulture, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pitchfork, and Genius portray Lil Nas X’s use of religious iconography in his music videos and the controversies surrounding it?