Lil Nas X released his single "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" on Friday.- The
music video's content has prompted backlash from parents whose kids loved "Old Town Road." - He responded by saying it's not his job to cater to kids and noted "OTR" also had mature lyrics.
Lil Nas X is defending himself after angering parents over the appropriateness of his new music.
On Friday, the 21-year-old singer dropped his new track, "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)," along with an explicit music video that shows him sliding down a pole into hell and having a sexual encounter with the devil.
The video was met with outrage by parents, who argued that it seemed inappropriate for an artist whose breakout single was widely beloved by children.
Joyner Lucas, a rapper who has a 5-year-old, tweeted on Sunday, "I think the biggest problem for me is the fact he don't understand 'old town road' is every kids anthem."
"Children love him for that record. They tuned in and subscribed to his channels. So with no disclaimer he just dropped some left field ish & all our kids seen it. Smh," Lucas concluded.
-nope (@LilNasX) March 29, 2021
Lil Nas X responded to Lucas, saying that "Old Town Road" was never appropriate for children, as it contains lyrics about topics such as adultery and the drug lean, and that he wasn't responsible for it being a "kids anthem."
"U decided to let your child listen. blame yourself," he wrote.
When another parent accused the singer of "targeting kids," Lil Nas X stood by his creative decision and replied: "I am an adult. i am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. that is your job."
-nope (@LilNasX) March 27, 2021
Nick Young, a former NBA player with two children, also said he didn't want his kids subscribing to "Old Town Road" any longer. He also took issue with the song's release being paired with a new product called the Satan Shoe, a sneaker said to contain a drop of human blood.
"My kids will never play Old Town road again," Young tweeted. "I'm still debating about wearing @Nike after this come Nike a drop of blood for real."
Nike, however, has denied involvement in the making of the shoe, which features the Nike swoosh logo prominently.
"We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF," Nike told NBC News in a statement. "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."
Lil Nas X didn't seem fazed by Young's message, however, saying that fans "shouldn't be playing old town road anyway, we streaming call me by your name now."
-nope (@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
Not all parents were mad about Lil Nas X's latest project, though. The singer's own father chimed in on the discussion by texting his son a supportive message, which Lil Nas X shared on Twitter.
"Very creative video. I got through it [laughing emojis]. Congratulations. Live life on your own terms. Very PROUD of you," he wrote.
-nope (@LilNasX) March 26, 2021
Lil Nas X also faced backlash over the weekend from conservatives who were upset about his Satan-themed sneaker drop.
Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota reacted to the Satan Shoe on Twitter, writing: "Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's 'exclusive.' But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul."
Lil Nas X replied to the message by telling Noem to focus her attention on her constituents. "Ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. Do ur job!" he wrote.
-nope (@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
Despite the outrage, Lil Nas X has continued promoting his project. Earlier Monday, he dropped an extended version of his single, titled "Montero (Call Me by Your Name) [Satan's extended version]."