Fans who’ve been starving for new music from Lil Nas X got a big surprise on Wednesday night when the “Scoop” rapper dropped a teaser for his new—wait for it—Christian song.
Posting the video to his personal Twitter/X and Instagram account with the caption: “y’all mind if enter my christian era?,’ the nearly minute-and-a-half song boasted lyrics of feeling lonely and turning to God for help. The song also alluded to him asking his angels to help free him from worry, pity, envy, and “these feelings.”
“Father, stretch my hands, the lonely road seems to last the longest,” the song begins. “Help me with my plans, everything seems to go to nowhere . Oh, free me from worry and wanting pity. Free me from all this envy in me, I don’t want these feelings, I don’t want these feelings. I call on angels, I’m trying hard to face my pain, yeah. Give me hope when I feel, give me hope when I feel less.”
Naturally, the change in direction garnered a swift response from folks online, half of which called out the “Industry Baby” for making a mockery of Christianity likening it to when he twerked on a CGI Satan in his 2021 music video for “Montero(Call Me By Your Name).” Others, applauded the rapper for going in the direction of his heart and embracing this new era he’s going down.
However, just because Lil Nas X may be trying on a new sound—specifically from a religion that has traditionally condemned LGBTQ+ people—it doesn’t mean that he’s straying away from who he is or who he loves.
“Making christian music does not mean i can’t suck dick no more. the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons,” he wrote in a tweet shortly after he dropped the video. As they say in the church: Make it plain, Lil Nax, Make it plain.
In a later tweet he added: “y’all see everything i do as a gimmick. when in reality im just an artist expressing myself in different ways. whether im a cowboy, gay, satanic, or now christian y’all find a problem! y’all don’t police nobody else art like mine. y’all hate me because im fun cute and petite.”
Of course, we all know by now that the “Old Town Road” rapper is notorious for trolling and trolling WELL (and his subsequent post to TikTok seems to further prove that). Only time will tell though if his “Christian era” is here for a good time or a long time.