Lil Nas X is incredibly busy right now. In addition to being the newly minted president of League of Legends, releasing his new track “STAR WALKIN’” for the video game and playing nightly shows on his nearly sold out Long Live Montero Tour, the rapper partnered with M&Ms to release a limited-edition box of the chocolate candy on Wednesday (Sept. 21). The collaboration serves as an homage to his live show run and to support Sing For Hope — a non-profit that harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world.
In light of Lil Nas’ limited-edition Montero-themed M&Ms, which features his face on the candy and comes in colors of pink, blue and purple, Billboard caught up with the 23-year-old at the New York City stop of his Long Live Montero Tour and chatted about working with M&Ms, tour life, as well as “STAR WALKIN’” and what it means for his next album.
“Right now, M&Ms is making music accessible and bringing people together, and that’s what I do — I feel like we’re aligned there,” the “Call Me By Your Name (Montero)” singer explained.
The candy company will donate $5 for every purchase of the of the limited-edition box up to $100,000 to Sing For Hope. Lil Nas X shared that the non-profit organization’s message folds into his own philosophy because he’s “simply being myself through my music” and believes Sing For Hope will also “allow many others to feel comfortable with themselves.”
And as for his favorite M&M? “I think everyone would agree the green M&M is the sexiest one, right? The green M&M is just bad, you know?”
Lil Nas X also spoke on his newly released song “STAR WALKIN’.” While the song serves as a tie in to his League of Legends presidency and the first offering fans have received since June’s “Late To Da Party (F*CK BET),” the song doesn’t paint a clear picture of what fans can expect from his upcoming second LP.
“I wouldn’t say that “STAR WALKIN’” is indicative of what the next album is going to sound like. I say that only because I don’t know exactly what the next album is going to be like. I almost never know until I finally buckle down and pick what songs are going to be on it,” he said, before confidently adding, “I just know that it’s going to be my best project yet.”
Lil Nas X has 21 more shows left on the Long Live Montero Tour, and can now say he has cemented his pre-show rituals. To calm his nerves, the rapper likes “imagining that everybody is a robot and I’m in a VR game, so I can just do whatever I want to do and it’s not going to matter…kinda like in the “Panini” video.”
Before going out on stage, the two-time Grammy winner added, “I like to do at least 40 push ups so when I do go out there [on stage] in whatever small shirt I’m wearing, my muscles poke out a little more. I like to call an ex… and I like to tell them I still have love for them, in case they’re at the show tonight.”
With a few shows under his belt, Lil Nas X has a soft spot for two songs on the setlist — “That’s What I Want” or “Lost in the Citadel.” The rapper shared the two tracks encapsulates his both the second act of his show and his creative ambitions: “I love the whole second act of my show the most, because I feel like it’s very theatrical, and I feel like those two songs really breathes the essence of what I want the entire show to be and what the entire show is. The second act of my performance is most to the point of what I am trying to convey with my show for sure.”
Watch Lil Nas X discuss his pre-show rituals — and get a glimpse of his limited edition M&M’s — below.
