Rapper Lil Nas X released his much anticipated debut album, “Montero,” on Sept. 17. Nas, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, first charted in the US in early 2019 with his first successful single “Old Town Road (Billy Cyrus Remix).” “MONTERO” comes as a follow-up to Nas’ 2019 extended play “7.” The final track of “7,” “C7osure,” was the first time Nas publicly commented on his sexuality, coming out as gay, which continues to inspire much of his work.
Recently, Nas has come under fire for using Satanic imagery in the music video for the titular track from his new album, “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name).” The song’s subtitle invokes the name of Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 film, “Call Me By Your Name.” The film tells the story of two gay young men in Italy during the summer of 1983. Nas teamed up with MSCHF to create a limited run of “Satan Shoes,” modified Nike Air Max 97’s, inspired by the music video for “MONTERO” in March 2021. Nike filed a lawsuit against MSCHF on March 29, 2021 and the shoes have been temporarily blocked from being sold.
After dropping “INDUSTRY BABY,” which features Jack Harlow and was produced by hip-hop superstar Kanye West and Take A Daytrip, Nas finally released his debut album, “Montero.” “Montero” is a collection of upbeat songs to dance to and slower, almost ballad-like songs that give a raw sense of authenticity that can be rare to come by in the modern music industry, especially the pop music industry.
The almost exotic instrumental on the titular track grips the audience in from the first note of the album. The blending of Nas’ solid vocals and unexpected instrumentals is a theme seen throughout the album. Also present is the theme of desiring to be loved as he is, something that Nas carries throughout the album.
Following the titular track is “DEAD RIGHT NOW,” a song that slows the pace and invites the listener to experience Nas’ journey to stardom with him, sharing stories from 2018, before his first single “Old Town Road” charted, and recounting his rocky relationship with his mother, again showing that Nas is not afraid to get vulnerable on his record.
“INDUSTRY BABY” and “THATS WHAT i WANT” both provide strong instrumentals; the former having a strong trumpet backing the vocals from both himself and Harlow, and the latter including an acoustic guitar present heavily in the intro that fades but is obviously still present throughout the track. “INDUSTRY BABY” may be the catchiest song released so far in 2021.“THATS WHAT I WANT” lives up to its title, with Nas exclaiming throughout the song, “I want someone to love me // I need someone who needs me.” Unlike much of the  chart topping pop released today, Nas is not looking for sex, hookups or anything else that could be seen as superficial. He is craving the deep love of a committed relationship. This song, more than any other on the album, is the culmination of Nas’ musical and personal inspiration, leaving an impact on the listener that far outlasts their listen through of the album.
Songs like “SCOOP” and “DOLLA SIGN SLIME,” which feature Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, two of the biggest names in hip-hop today, provide the familiar radio pop that listeners who know Lil Nas X from “Old Town Road” will enjoy. That is not to say these songs are stylistically similar to the 2019 hit. The songs are solid and can easily be put into a playlist and enjoyed outside of the context of the album, but they don’t do anything unexpected from a collaboration between Nas and each respective artist.
Nas again shows his range with the more ballad-like “ONE OF ME,” featuring LGBTQ icon Elton John on the backing piano track and prominently on the track listing. “ONE OF ME” deals explicitly with Nas struggling to manage his success and fame following “Old Town Road,” featuring criticism he received about the now 15-time platinum song. The track offers a unique look into the mind of an artist receiving their first bit of widespread success and the way that criticism can affect them.
The album begins to slow down towards the second half, trading the fast, radio-playable singles for the sort of authentic lyricism previewed in “THATS WHAT I WANT” and “ONE OF ME.” “SUN GOES DOWN” again slows the tempo, giving the listener a better chance to listen to Nas’ lyrics. The song focuses on wanting to live as his true self, even going so far as to claim he would rather die than live inauthentically. The song also deals with race and the complications from the intersection of his racial identity and his sexuality, a subject Nas has not shied away from addressing publicly,  especially on Twitter. While Nas is proud of his identity as a gay Black man now, he has often addressed the problems and heartache that this intersection of identities has caused for him, and “SUN GOES DOWN” allows the listener to glimpse into a dark place in his past, allowing a better appreciation for where he is today and what he has accomplished.
The album finishes strong, with the appropriately titled “VOID.” The combination of the backing track and the effects applied to Nas’ vocals makes the listener feel transported into a void, continuing the slower, more lyrical focus of the second half of the album.
“DONT WANT IT” picks the tempo back up a little, and would feel a bit more at home on the first half of the record, but does break up the several slower songs at the end of the album nicely. The inclusion of the interlude featuring various presenters at awards shows saying his name, was a nice inclusion, and it fits the trend of Nas being proud of and not downplaying his past successes.
“LIFE AFTER SALEM” is possibly the only song on the album I didn’t enjoy. There was a clash between the vocals and the instrumental that I could not resolve in my head. However, the final track “AM I DREAMING” closes the album on a solid, albeit slow note. Miley Cyrus provides a solid harmony with Nas that makes for a memorable final track, closing the album on a high note.
Taking from his inspirations and forming them into his own style, Lil Nas X created an amazing full-length album in his first try. It is authentic in ways that other artists can only dream of and boastful in ways that only an artist with the breakout success of Lil Nas X could be. The emotional highs of the album have listeners right there at the top of the mountain with him, and the emotional lows of the album have listeners right there in the valleys. This combination of emotions, musical style and authenticity creates a truly unforgettable album.
Rating: 9/10