September 19, 2021 | Arts / Entertainment

Lil Nas X finally drops first album

A lot of people wrote off Lil Nas X as a one hit wonder when he released the chart topping single "Old Town Road". It stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 19 consecutive weeks, but was surely just a fluke.

Well, the openly gay rapper has proven that he has staying power, and this week he finally released his debut album, Montero. The critics love it.

“Close your eyes as you listen to Montero and you can almost feel the rainbow confetti falling from the ceiling and sticking to your tears," shared Helen Brown from The Independent. This album isn’t the creation of a gimmick-spinner. It’s an album bursting with technicolour heart.”

“With its genre-stretching approach and refreshingly honest exploration of love and loneliness, Nas reminds us that he’s a musical force to be reckoned with," said Variety's Mike Wass. "Perhaps more importantly, “Montero” hints that the rapper is ready to give voice to the fears and longings of a generation of queer kids.”

Lil Nas X called on some big names to help out on his 15-track album, including Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus.

But before his first big hit, he was hoping to find fame through social media by making funny vids.

"I was doing Facebook comedy videos, then I moved over to Instagram, and then I hopped on Twitter ... where I really was a master. That was the first place where I could go viral," he told Rolling Stone.

When he started flirting with music, he found little success. It wasn't until he stopped trying to write songs he thought people wanted to hear and instead focused on the music he felt compelled to create that he finally found success.

Along with his album, he also released a new video this week.

"That's What I Want" shifts from gay football fantasy to Brokeback Mountain.