What the hell is going on with Lil Nas X and republicans? Since its release on March 26, 2021, the “Old Town Road” singer’s music video for his new smash tune, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” has caused quite an unprecedented stir among right-leaning circles. 

In the video, the quirky pop artist — whose real name is Montero — brings his catchy queer anthem to life with vivid Bible imagery, taking us on a journey through the Garden of Eden, heaven and hell. Perhaps the most striking moment (that’s bothering certain folks) is when the singer gives the devil a steamy lap dance before stealing his horns and wearing them himself. 

Many fans were thrilled to see the star embrace his complex identity in a project that makes space for queerness in Christianity, but there’s also been a widespread negative reaction. Lil Nas X released some goofy “Satan shoes” alongside the “MONTERO” video as some comical merch for fans that allegedly contain a drop of human blood. While many conservatives already weren’t taking kindly to the video, it was the shoes that really got them going. 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem just had to say something in a tweet: “Our kids are being told that this kind of product is...exclusive. Do you know what’s more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul.” She continued dramatically, “We are in a fight for the soul of our nation.” Interestingly, those are the same words President Biden used in his campaign against former President Trump...and she used them in reference to a 21-year-old’s idea of funny music video merch. The artist clapped back in his own tweet, “ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do your job!” That’d be nice.

Right-wing pundit Candace Owens also had some unkind words for the singer on Twitter while Trump ally Greg Locke said he hoped Nike “burned to the ground.” Popular commentator Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire has covered this story nine times and Fox News’ Laura Ingraham is also in a huff about the supposedly deeply disturbing Satanic imagery. Right-wingers with a platform are acting as though Lil Nas X, who is just barely old enough to drink, has single-handedly destroyed Christianity and become a threat to Americans who practice. The reality is, no single artist or music video has that kind of power. Christianity will surely survive a three-minute YouTube video...so what are they really afraid of? 

The reaction is somewhat shocking, especially if you recall Ariana Grande’s “God Is a Woman” music video or Demi Lovato’s video that just dropped for her single, “Dancing With the Devil.” You might even consider the hit AC/DC song, “Highway to Hell” when trying to uncover the real issue. Grande’s video is explicitly sexual, Lovato’s song and video are about her drug overdose and the AC/DC lyrics “Hey Satan'' imply a casual, friendly relationship with the devil. Where was the conservative outrage then? It’s been pretty quiet until this moment. Christian imagery in popular music is not a new concept and it should not be a shocking one at this point, given that it’s undeniably a norm. The only reason this time is different is that the artist in question is a gay, Black man. 

The rising star isn’t at all phased by the noise and hasn’t lost sight of why he does what he does. On Twitter, Lil Nas X shared a note to his 14-year-old self that reads, “I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person...but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist…”. The singer no longer hides behind the masculine, cowboy costume from “Old Town Road”. These days, other people don’t dictate his music, his videos or how he expresses himself. Grown-up Montero is freer than little Montero ever could have imagined.