Lil Nas X has certainly raised an uproar following the release of "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," a video that depicted him sensually granting a lapdance to none other than Lucifer himself. Though many praised the clip's prominent LGBT themes, others seemed taken aback by the overt sexuality and invocation of religious imagery, occasionally in the same scene. Joyner Lucas, for example, felt that Lil Nas X betrayed his younger fanbase; unsurprisingly, Candace Owens felt that his use of Satanic imagery was setting a disturbing societal example.
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Though Lil Nas X initially met his critics with defiance, it would appear that the backlash received by "MONTERO" has begun to take its toll. Of course, given the pop sensation's noted history of trolling and devil-may-care (no pun intended) demeanor, it's difficult to take anything he says at face value. "I’ll be honest all this backlash is putting an emotional toll on me," he writes, on his Twitter page. "I try to cover it with humor but it’s getting hard. my anxiety is higher than ever and stream call me by your name on all platforms now!"
It should be noted that shortly after the admission, he proceeded to engage in a bit of self-deprecating humor surrounding the recent TMZ report that Nike would be suing MSCHF, with whom Lil Nas X recently collaborated limited-edition Satanic sneaker -- complete with a genuine droplet of human blood. Nike has since denied any association with the shoe, and appears determined to abolish the narrative that they had anything to do with its creation. Though NIKE is seeking to block all sales of Lil Nas X's customized sneaker, they did not name the "MONTERO" hitmaker in the lawsuit.
Check out Lil Nas X's response to the "MONTERO" backlash, as well as his attempt at making light of the Nike lawsuit report below. For more Lil Nas X, he recently released an extended version of his controversial single, which you can catch right here.