The new HBO documentary “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” chronicles the Grammy winner as he embarks on his debut concert tour of the same name. The behind-the-scenes film includes the Grammy winner talking about how his family has come to not only accept his queerness, but embrace his sexuality. He’s even taken his dad to a gay bar.
“I thought [coming out] was just going to be like an elephant in the room for a very long time,” Lil Nas X told me Wednesday night at the doc’s Los Angeles premiere. “I never would have thought to do gay stuff with my dad, but he insisted. He was like, ‘No, I want to go with you guys!’ So, yeah, that was the best night ever.”
Lil Nas X’s brother, Tramon Hall, comes out as bisexual in the film. “I didn’t expect him to open up like that on camera because when we shot that, it was very new to him coming out to even the family. It was beautiful though. He’s doing good. He’s been through a lot, but he’s doing better.”
The premiere of the documentary on HBO on Jan. 27 comes as Lil Nas X has been releasing music from his upcoming sophomore album. The first single, “J Christ,” debuted at No. 69 on the Hot 100 after its video generated controversy for its religious imagery. (In the video, the rapper plays basketball against the Devil and dresses as Noah on the Ark.) Lil Nas X, who is no stranger to backlash, even took to Instagram to apologize to those he offended.
Even so, he joked on X/Twitter about “J Christ” landing at 69 on the charts. “We did it boys! We reached the funny number,” he wrote. “Be very proud of yourselves. this is our moment!”
While the commercial reception to the song was underwhelming (by Lil Nas X standards), the artist told me Wednesday night, “I’m proud of my song and the video. Everyone expected me to be upset or something. But I’m a very spiritual person. I’m thankful that I get to even be in the charts and still be in the conversation. And I’m making new music and it’s been so long. So I’m grateful for that.”
As for pressure leading up to the new album’s release, Lil Nas X said, “I’m a very spiritual young man. I believe that things are going to work out as long as I’m doing my part. I’ve never worked harder on an album or done more in my life internally to get things right. I’m excited for the outcome.”
He continued, “It’s going to eat. It’s going to be something beautiful for the world.”
The “Industry Baby” singer also revealed he’s looking into acting opportunities. “There may be some things coming,” he teased. “I did take an acting class and it felt like a therapy session. The guy honestly almost made me cry.”
