Prominent conservative commentator Candace Owens has kept a watchful eye on pop culture and remains a vocal critic of many messages put forth in the mainstream music industry. Having frequently gone toe-to-toe with Cardi B, to the point where the pair feel like recurring archrivals, it was only a matter of time before Owens set her sights on a new target -- the diamond-certified popstar Lil Nas X.
Lil Nas X, who many came to know through his genre-bending crossover hit "Old Town Road," recently raised eyebrows with the provocative and controversial new video for "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)." For one, it drew heavily from Christian iconography, culminating in a scene during which Lil Nas X gives Lord Beelzebub himself a lap-dance. In addition, it also featured a heightened dose of sexually-charged imagery, signaling an alteration of Lil Nas X's previously family-friendly image.
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Following the release of "MONTERO," Lil Nas X announced a shoe collaboration with art collective MSCHF -- a Nike Air Max 97 released in a limited run of six-hundred-and-sixty-six, seeped in Satanic imagery and even containing a drop of human blood; following the announcement, Nike came forward to confirm that they had nothing to do with the sneaker's creation nor any affiliation to Lil Nas X. It didn't take long for the video and tie-in shoe to stir up controversy, and before long, Candace Owens was taking to Twitter to share her thoughts on the situation.
"We’ve turned George Floyd, a criminal drug addict, into an icon. We are promoting Satan shoes to wear on our feet. We’ve got Cardi B named as woman of the year," she wrote, on her Twitter page. "But we’re convinced it’s white supremacy that’s keeping black America behind. How stupid can we be?" In response, Lil Nas X positioned her acknowledgment as validation of his message, though Candace was not convinced.
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"You successfully got you used by corporations to help further destroy our youth," she responded. "Congratulations on being a pawn in a game you likely don’t even understand. We can take cheap shots on Twitter or I can welcome you to have this discussion with me publicly because it matters." At this time, Lil Nas X has yet to respond to her invitation -- though it seems unlikely that he will take her up on it. At this current moment, the viral video for "MONTERO" is sitting at thirty-one million views.