Sai Kulkarni ‘23
Culture Editor
Lil Nas X is perhaps the most popular male artist right now, at least on the internet.[1] The Montero album has been highly anticipated. The EP he released in 2019 was just a taste of his excellent work, and one that I can only describe as a storytelling experience. Since then, he has blown up and found his own space as a leader in the TikTok era of music production. The singles on the Montero album kept up that trend. Not only is talking about his singles the best way to start, it’s the way Lil Nas X introduced this album.
Montero is more than worth a listen. Photo Courtesy of Columbia Records.
He seems to know his own popularity and wants to draw you in from the beginning. So MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) is the first track on the list. What is left to say about this track that hasn’t already been said? His deep vocals are an excellent way to start a song and the clip of the music video available on the Spotify screen is an excellent view of the “controversial” music video.[2] I have nothing more to say about this track. If you haven’t heard it already, I am concerned for you. Spend less time in the library. Don’t get caught thinking that this is just upbeat hip-hop and tracks that you’ve already heard though. Lil Nas X cuts in next with Dead Right Now and brings you a taste of what the real motivation in this album is. The song is deep and he is trying to get you to hear his inner voice. The vibes really do get slowed down here, intentionally.
Don’t look now, though, as he snaps you back to attention with the second famous single: Industry Baby (ft. Jack Harlow). If you think my review is too laudatory (which I know many of you will), go watch or listen to any interview with Jack Harlow in the last month. The love he has for his fellow artist is out of this world and he makes sure you know it.[3] Those horns and the marching band backtrack make this song one for the ages. Once again, the music video is excellent and brings not only humor but social commentary on the stereotypes about gay men and general homophobic comments about the prison system.[4] From there, Lil Nas X provides what can only be called an experience. That’s What I Want is the best track on this album. Hands down. Even better than the singles we’ve already heard. If this song doesn’t make you smile and want to get up to dance, I am sorry but the Law School must have taken your soul already. The music video here is excellent, featuring what can only be described as a Terms of Service violation on most video streaming sites. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.
Now it is time to get down to the actual content of this album. Lil Nas X throws all the popular, famous stuff at the top so that once you get this deep, you are all partied out. You’ve danced your energy away and are now able to hear what he wants to say. He begins with a short interlude of him talking, with an important call and response. Someone asks him if he’s happy and he responds “I’m not sure.” The next track, Scoop (ft. Doja Cat), begins immediately as he revises his response to “I’m sure.” This track has a bouncy beat and repetitive techno track covered by uniquely creative lyrics, like his explanation for his excellent body (pilates). The interaction between Lil Nas and Doja Cat flows well to give a good intro to this back half of the album, which is generally slower, more serious tracks.
As one of the most famous modern openly queer artists, Lil Nas X does not forget to include plenty of homages to the LGBTQ+ community. What better way than to include a track featuring one of the most famous queer artists of all time? Elton John comes in hot on the piano in his brief time on One of Me, a track where Lil Nas X is talking about how people don’t think he will last in the industry even if his album is okay. I think having a piano backing by one of the longest lasting artists in the industry is a great way to subtly punch back. I am going to skip ahead and levy my sole criticism of the album. I loved Dolla Sign Slime, especially the Megan Thee Stallion verse. But I think this should have been placed in the first half of the album. The song is all about bragging about riches and how they are dunking on others. We love those tracks. But it seems like an odd cut from the songs it’s surrounded by. Or maybe that’s on purpose to give you a break from being deep. Okay, I’m back to thinking he’s a genius, that’s smart.
Rather than talking about them individually, I want to discuss Lost in the Citadel, Tales of Dominica, Void, Don’t Want It, and Life After Salem together. Oh wait, isn’t Sun Goes Down in there too? It is, and it was the surprise third single on this album and released only a week before the album was released. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t know that, because I didn’t either. The thing is, all of these songs are about storytelling. A lost love, not accepting yourself, a first dive into producing, this segment of the album has it all. This is Lil Nas X just making music for himself and we are lucky to be experiencing it. Storytelling and expressing yourself are essential elements of music. He knows who he is and makes sure that you do too. The fame isn’t everything, as his inclusion of news clips about himself and the meta commentary on Don’t Want It make clear.
He closes the album the same way we all close out nights at Virg: with Miley Cyrus. Not only is her voice the perfect blend with Lil Nas but the sheer idea of having her on the track is amazing. These are two artists that have been in the public eye from a young age; not to mention their deeply criticized journeys with their own sexualities in music videos and live performances. The song is heartbreaking and deep, and the perfect way to cap off what is such an introspective album. Like the Montero album itself, Am I Dreaming, at first glance is a nice combination of famous artists and good beats. But looking just a bit deeper gives you a real look at what this extraordinary artist has experienced in his short and intense life.
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omk6cg@virginia.edu
[1] See the records broken by “Old Town Road “and the title track of this album. Also all the TikTok trends.
[2] If in 2021 you still think the controversy of the video is more important than the message, I don’t know what to say to you.
[3] I am particularly fond of the ET interview in which Lil Nas X was trying to pull Harlow away before he said anything too “sus.” Suffice it to say, it did not work.
[4] Once again, it is 2021. Stop making “drop the soap” jokes. The prison system is bad enough without us stigmatizing prisoners even further.