Lil Nas X Has A Message For Any Straight Fans Who Feel "Alienated" By His "Montero" Lyrics

Lil Nas X made major waves with the release of "Montero" in March, and not just because of the controversial devil imagery in the music video. Fans instantly loved the song, and it wound up hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. In a new interview, Lil Nas X reflected on how the success of the song affected his career as a whole, particularly his relationship with certain fan demographics. Lil Nas X's quotes about possibly alienating straight fans with "Montero" got so real.

Lil Nas X is the face of Entertainment Weekly's June 2021 Pride issue where he graced one of four covers alongside other stars including MJ Rodriguez, Bowen Yang, and Lena Waithe. He used to cover story to reflect on how "Montero," written about a same-sex relationship, might be perceived by fans who aren't part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans,” he said. “But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”

Lil Nas X was also sure to call out his haters, admitting he's used them as a catalyst for big-time success. "I'm thankful," he added. "But it also feels good to prove people wrong. It's one of my driving forces."

Lil Nas X also used the profile to reflect on his journey towards stardom and how it's changed the way he approaches meeting people.

"I've honestly gotten to this point where I'm just like, okay, I hope this person actually likes me for me [and] isn't trying to use me as a stepping stone," he said. "I've just got to a point where it's like well, even if they are [using me], then that's a lesson learned. I can't just stop meeting people because of this fear."

"Montero" has seen massive success, but to say he didn't win everyone over would be an understatement. Lil Nas X saw major backlash due to the inclusion of devil imagery in his music, particularly the scene where he gave the devil a lap dance. The biggest learning lesson from Lil Nas X's new video? The singer has an artistic expression that won't be dulled.