In 2019, Lil Nas X was everywhere. In 2021, he was still pretty big. Since then, his luck hasn’t been quite as solid, but the “Old Town Road” singer returned this week with not one but two singles (so far) to help christen whatever era is coming next.
Yesterday, Lil Nas X released “Dreamboy,” a pretty straightforward rap track. Today’s release “Big Dummy!” takes a similar tact, seeing Nas X declare “Y’all finna get this heat all 2025!” over a Y2K era beat. Both tracks also come with relatively, by Lil Nas X standards, lowkey music videos, featuring Nas (and a couple of friends, in “Big Dummy!”) performing in front of a white backdrop with pink accents. Both the tracks and the videos are obviously highly produced, but compared to his previous CGI fests like “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and “J Christ,” they’re practically minimalist.
Obviously, some recalibration was needed. Following a hit the size of “Old Town Road” is a near impossible task for any artist, but especially one who experienced that success straight out of the gate. But Lil Nas X managed to score two number one hits from his debut album Montero, fueled in part by increased attention he got from pissing off the Fox News/religious right types. Since then, the tactics haven’t worked as well. 2024’s similarly religious-themed “J Christ” only managed to chart at 69 on the Hot 100, and none of the singles Lil Nas X has released since have managed to chart at all. If you ask this writer, it sure looks like a pivot in strategy. The rapper will also release “Hotbox” on Friday, per Billboard, which he previously teased in February. Per Genius, this one was produced by Take A Daytrip, but it sure sounds a hell of a lot like the Neptunes’ early 2000s work. It looks like Y2K is Lil Nas X’s zone for the time being.
