The evolution of Lil Nas X: Hits, impact and future moves

One of the biggest sensations to emerge in the last few years, Lil Nas X has transitioned from a viral craze to a chart-topping, groundbreaking cultural force, famous for reshaping musical genres and sparking conversations in the press. Thanks to his catchy hits and clever marketing on social media, everyone is talking about this rapper and singer-songwriter.

But where did it all start? And why has Lil Nas X caused so much controversy? This bio tracks the evolution of this undeniable star, and you’ll learn more about his record-breaking career, impact and future projects.

His early life and the path to viral stardom

Montero Lamar Hill, now known to the world as Lil Nas X, was born on April 9, 1999, in Lithia Springs, Georgia, not far from Atlanta. On how he chose his stage name, Lil Nas X says:

“It was just Lil Nas. It was Lil Nas because when I first started rapping, I wasn’t as serious, so it was like, ‘Okay, every rapper’s name is starting with Lil lately.’ So I kind of got stuck with it. I added the X later on after I was more serious.”

His upbringing and musical influences

Lil Nas X’s parents divorced when he was six, which marked his early life. He spent his childhood years in Atlanta and later in Austell, Georgia, where he lived with his gospel singer father.

Despite this exposure to gospel music, Lil Nas X cites a wide range of musical inspirations from various genres. His biggest career influences include Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator and Young Thug.

Lil Nas X frequently used the internet, especially X, during his teenage years, where he would post about pop culture topics. He experimented with different types of content creation as an internet personality.

He went to the University of West Georgia for a year before dropping out to start a musical career.

The creation and release of ‘Old Town Road’

Lil Nas X’s breakthrough came after the release of his country rap single, “Old Town Road.” The song became a viral smash before hitting No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019. The song stayed at the top of this chart for 19 weeks, thanks, in part, to a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. This makes it the joint-longest-running No. 1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history.

Hot off the heels of “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X was the male artist with the most nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. He won the awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video at the ceremony. Other accolades around this time include two MTV Video Music Awards and one American Music Award.

Interestingly, Lil Nas X recorded “Old Town Road” in under an hour at a recording studio in Atlanta that offered a reduced rate.

How TikTok and social media fueled his breakthrough

TikTok played a noteworthy role in the success of “Old Town Road,” with thousands of videos featuring the song gaining popularity on the social media platform. Lil Nas X doesn’t receive payment for the track when it appears on TikTok — he uploaded it to the website’s audio database for free. However, such massive exposure led to tens of millions of streams on Spotify, where the star does earn royalties.

In 2019, Lil Nas X talked about the viral success of “Old Town Road:”

“I should maybe be paying TikTok. They really boosted the song. It was getting to the point that it was almost stagnant. When TikTok hit it, almost every day since that, the streams have been up. I credit them a lot.”

Lil Nas X’s musical evolution and reinvention

Since “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has released one studio album and multiple singles. His musical style continues to evolve, blending genres such as hip-hop, rap, soul and pop.

From country-rap to genre-defying artistry

From the country-rap stylings of “Old Town Road” to the hip-hop and trap sound of “Panini,” his second single after hitting the big time, Lil Nas X is known in the music industry for defying genres. In a review of his EP “7,” released in 2019, Hypebeast says the artist “traverses music’s different realms all in a span of 20 minutes.”

Lil Nas X’s debut album, “Montero,” came out in September 2021. It features a wide range of styles, with Entertainment Weekly noting “the muddying of distinctions between genres” and “sonics from all over popular music’s map.” The Guardian, meanwhile, says the album “hits an impressively eclectic sweet spot between hip-hop and pop” and “leaps confidently from trap beats and martial horns to grinding distorted hard rock.”

When it comes to the genre that helped launch his career, Lil Nas X has mixed feelings. Talking about his reception in the country music space and how artists like Beyoncé and Shaboozy have since been embraced, he says, “I wish this would have happened for me.”

“Old Town Road” only spent one week on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard then removed the track from the ranking because it didn’t contain enough elements of modern country music.

Breaking records and redefining mainstream music

As well as being the joint-longest-running No.1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, “Old Town Road” has reached diamond status, meaning it’s sold more than 10 million units. Lil Nas X is only the second openly gay male artist to achieve this honor. He is also the first openly LGBTQ Black artist in history to pick up a Country Music Association award.

Lil Nas X is redefining mainstream music because he doesn’t fit into one genre. According to NPR, he also uses his platform to provoke conversations about Black queerness and eliminating homophobia from hip-hop.

He says:

“My intention was always to be as entertaining as possible. I’m not like trying to comfort anyone, or their children.”

The impact of his albums and hit songs

Lil Nas X has three No.1s and five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. As well as “Old Town Road,” he has hit the top spot on this chart with “Industry Baby” (Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow) and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” both released in 2021. “Montero,” his debut album, reached No.1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The star’s music has also had a massive impact on social media, frequently serving as the backdrop for viral videos. On YouTube, Lil Nas X’s songs have garnered hundreds of millions of views, with “Old Town Road” being watched nearly 1.4 billion times as of June 2025.

The controversies and cultural conversations surrounding his work

Lil Nas X is no stranger to controversy, with his music videos and performances often sparking debate in the media. Despite plenty of criticism, he continues to receive unwavering support from many of his global fans.

His bold approach to self-expression and visuals

In 2021, Lil Nas X released the music video for “Montero,” the lead single from his debut album of the same name. The Post said the clip “broke the internet” because of its controversial imagery, which included the singer giving the devil a lap dance and sliding down a stripper’s pole to hell. The video led to an X feud between Lil Nas X and some members of the Christian community.

Lil Nas X has also courted controversy for how he expresses himself through fashion, including wearing a skirt on one of his tours.

Talking to People, he says:

“I was really nervous about going out on stage in front of my family and everybody in my cute, little Coach skirt. But as soon as I walked out, I felt like I was setting my younger self free. Afterwards, my family — a lot of whom used to believe in everything opposite to what’s up on that stage — told me they were really proud. I feel like I’m changing some minds.”

He also told the magazine that “Style is a form of self-expression.”

Backlash, industry reactions and fan support

Among other things, Lil Nas X has received backlash for his use of religious iconography in music videos and live performances. Perhaps most notably, he encountered a negative public reaction to his music video “J Christ,” released in 2024, in which he consumes communion bread and wine while dressed as Jesus.

The fallout divided many in the music industry, with Christian rapper Dee-1 criticizing Columbia Records, Lil Nas X’s label, for releasing the music video:

“They didn’t come out and apologize. You know what I mean? They allowed for this music video. They paid for the music video… But they are not the ones coming out and apologizing if they offended any Christians.” 

Reflecting on the video, Lil Nas X says:

“This [was a] thing that I thought was just like a little jokey fun video. I also had to think about how many of my family members are Christian, like my grandmothers and stuff, and like aunties and things like that. And I’m like, ‘Wow, do they see this as that too?’ If they do, you know, that’s really messed up. And it makes me sad.”

Despite controversies like these, many of Lil Nas X’s fans continue to support him. He has more than 10 million followers on Instagram alone.

His role in challenging traditional norms in music

Over the past six years, Lil Nas X has challenged many norms in music, including how modern-day artists should behave and perform. He has cemented his place in modern pop culture by constantly pushing the envelope and incorporating controversial themes in his songs, music videos and live performances.

OutSFL says Lil Nas X is a “contemporary symbol of defiance and self-acceptance” who uses his platform to push back against stereotypes within the music industry.

The marketing genius behind Lil Nas X’s success

Lil Nas X is a savvy marketer, using his social media platforms to promote his latest offerings and appeal to a wider audience. He also collaborates with artists across various genres, a move that broadens his appeal to other demographics.

Leveraging internet culture and memes

Before he became a mainstream star, Lil Nas X used the internet to build his fan base. He says:

“I was doing Facebook comedy videos, then I moved over to Instagram, and then I hopped on Twitter. That is where I really was a master. That was the first place where I could go viral.”

The star often reposts memes — or creates his own — on his socials, frequently using humor to stay connected with his fans and promote his latest music.

Strategic collaborations with major artists

Lil Nas X has collaborated with artists across diverse genres, boosting his visibility among audiences who may not have paid attention to him otherwise. Some of the most famous collaborations in Lil Nas X’s career include:

• “Old Town Road (Remix)” — with Billy Ray Cyrus (country)
• “One of Me” — with Elton John (pop)
• “AM I DREAMING” — with Miley Cyrus (pop/country)

His ability to control the narrative in the media

Because of his large social media following, Lil Nas X can quickly control the media narrative by responding to critics or explaining his creative choices in real time.

He often does this with humor. Case in point: The star posted a picture of himself as ‘pregnant’ to promote his “Montero” album. After a public and media backlash, he jokingly wrote on X:

“Let me get offline, all of this negative energy is not good for the baby.” 

His influence on LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry

In 2020, Lil Nas X said: “I 100% want to represent the LGBT community.” In the years since, he has explored LGBTQ+ themes in his music and videos, becoming a queer icon and a voice for communities that often lack one.

Being an openly queer artist in a competitive space

LGBTQ representation in the music industry is lacking, and it’s often difficult for queer artists to break through in such a competitive sector. Lil Nas X and his coming out has bucked this trend, with the star embracing his identity and becoming a genuine chart force.

How his visibility inspires future generations

Lil Nas X says he wants to open doors for other queer people to simply exist. As one of the most famous people in the music industry, his visibility may inspire future generations who eagerly await the next Lil Nas X tour and album.

He says:

“There’s going to be so many gay rappers. There’s going to be more trans people in the industry and whatnot. Ten years from now, everything that I’m doing won’t even seem like it was shocking.”

Lil Nas X’s future and the legacy he is building

Despite releasing only one studio album, Lil Nas X has made quite a mark on music and pop culture in the last few years. This talented rapper and singer-songwriter continues to flirt with different styles, famous for both his record-breaking country-rap hit “Old Town Road” and more experimental genre-defying sounds on “Montero.”

The future looks bright for Lil Nas X as he continues to build his legacy and release new music. A second Lil Nas X album, “DREAMBOY,” will come out sometime in 2025. The first single from the collection, “Listen Again,” released in 2024, sees the artist go in an interesting new direction, incorporating elements of electropop and featuring a sample from the R&B group Jagged Edge. There are no plans for a new Lil Nas X concert tour at the moment.

Check the latest Lil Nas X news for more information about upcoming projects.