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Over the course of a few years, Lil Nas X went from a college kid scared about his future to an internationally-acclaimed, record-breaking star. His fans know him as the funny, terminally online, occasionally controversial pop-meets-rap-meets-country artist next door. They even know a bit about Montero Lamar Hill, the man behind the moniker, thanks to more than a few revelatory lyrics on his debut album.
But with Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, the new documentary debuting on HBO this Saturday (Jan. 27), the “Industry Baby” singer is done trying to prove anything — he’s simply letting the audience see him in all lights possible.
The 95-minute feature follows Lil Nas X over the course of 60 days as he embarks on the North American leg his first-ever headlining tour in late 2022. Unlike Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour before it, the documentary gives fans only a peek into the star’s live show, occasionally showing off minute-long snippets of the titular concert before cutting away to backstage footage.
The rest of the movie, though, serves as a glimpse inside the mind of a blossoming artist looking to manage his impact on a career he crash-landed into. Hill opens up about everything from his upbringing, to his start in the industry, to the grueling process of putting together a tour . But most of all, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero watches Hill learn, in real time, what it means to be one of the most publicly visible members of the LGBTQ+ community, and how that public perception impacts his own search for meaning.
“Some people think my music is dope, but they think I do too much as far as videos and the things I do online go. And some people think the things I do online are cool, but they don’t like my music. Some people still see me as the kid-friendly artist, and some people see me as this Satanic devil that’s gonna ruin the world, or who’s part of some big agenda,” he says at one point in the documentary. “People feel a lot of things about me. But me? Boy, do I love this kid.”
Below, Billboard takes a look at five of the biggest revelations throughout Long Live Montero, from the rapper opening up about his relationship with his family, to a tribute for the music icon that continues to inspire him to this day.
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero premieres on HBO Saturday, January 27 at 8 p.m. ET.
The ‘Ghost’-ly Sample Haunting ‘Old Town Road’
The 66th annual Grammy Awards are almost here, and before Music’s Biggest Night takes over the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (Feb. 4), this year’s top talent, nominees and more will be spending the week celebrating their achievements at countless parties and events. SZA leads this year’s pack of nominees with nine nods — including […]
Winning a Golden Globe for best original song is often a stepping-stone to winning an Oscar in that category. Seven of the last 10 Globe winners went on to win the Oscar. Whoever wins when this year’s Golden Globes are presented on Sunday (Jan. 7) no doubt hopes that pattern continues. But it doesn’t always work out […]
12/26/2023
From queer artists reaching career-highs on the charts to a massive controversy surrounding a can of beer, 2023 proved to be pandemonium for the LGBTQ community.
12/26/2023
12/21/2023
A testament to a year marked by innovation, historic achievements, and the continual global rise of Latin music.
12/21/2023
A total of 10 songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 2023 so far. All but one — Bad Bunny‘s “Titi Me Preguntó,” from Un Verano Sin Ti — were released in 2023, and reflect a year dominated by música mexicana. Four out of the 10 are regional Mexican-influenced […]
12/12/2023
Running the gamut of genres, themes and release strategies, LGBTQ+ artists couldn’t be pinned down throughout this chaotic year.
12/12/2023
12/11/2023
From major label pop albums to introspective indie projects, LGBTQ+ artists brought their artistic visions to life throughout 2023.
12/11/2023
The Queen returns with her first LP since 2018 with features from Drake, Future, Lil Wayne, and more.
Our 100 favorite songs from a year where “pop” could mean just about anything.
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Rania Aniftos, Katie Atkinson, Eric Renner Brown, Hannah Dailey, Stephen Daw, Kyle Denis, James Dinh, Thom Duffy, Ingrid Fajardo, Griselda Flores, Josh Glicksman, Paul Grein, Lyndsey Havens, Rylee Johnston, Elias Leight, Jason Lipshutz, Joe Lynch, Heran Mamo, Taylor Mims, Gail Mitchell, Melinda Newman, Jessica Nicholson, Danielle Pascual, Isabela Raygoza, Jessica Roiz, Andrew Unterberger, Christine Werthman