As Lil Nas X returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” the rapper is recalling how he escaped the “lowest point of his life.”
In a series of social media posts Monday (April 5), Lil Nas X (real name Montero Lamar Hill) turned back to a point in time where he felt like giving up after the success of his record-breaking Hot 100 No. 1 and diamond-certified hit “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, which was released exactly two years ago.
“Y’all told a 19 year old who had just escaped the lowest point of his life that he would never have a hit again. you told him to stop while he’s ahead. he could’ve gave up,” he tweeted. “But 4 multi platinum songs and 2 #1’s later, he’s still here. thank you to my team and my fans! ily.”
In an Instagram post, Nas remembered feeling sorry for himself and creatively stifled until he started working with “Montero” co-writers and producers Take a Daytrip, Omer Fedi and Roy Lenzo in 2020. The 21-year-old artist also recalled crying every 10 minutes in the studio back in June, when he decided to film a short video congratulating the future Lil Nas X for “[pushing] through,” which he posted on Monday to ring in the good news.
“Last year i was sitting in my apartment thinking it was all over for me. i was trying so hard to be perfect, to please everyone, and not make any enemies. that stifled me creatively. i felt so sorry for myself. but around this time in 2020 i pulled it together, me, daytrip, omer, & roy, worked for months on end,” Lil Nas X wrote. “One day in june i was working on a song and found myself leaving the studio every 10 minutes to cry. but i didn’t stop working, a melody came to my mind. ‘call me when u want na-na-na-na na, and i knew it was something special about it, fast forward a year later it’s the biggest song in the world. thank you guys so much. we get to decide OUR own destiny, never let the world decide it for YOU! i love you!”
“Montero” drew 46.9 million U.S. streams in the week ending April 1 and attracted 1.1 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending April 4, according to MRC Data. The song also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart and No. 2 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
Fellow rapper 24kGoldn commented he was “prada u bro” underneath his IG post; Fedi co-wrote and produced “Mood” for 24kGoldn, which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
See Lil Nas X’s tweets below.
