Lil Nas X Ponders What Life Would Have Been Like Without 'Old Town Road'

Lil Nas X’s life changed with the success of "Old Town Road," but the superstar has some thoughts about how his life would have fared had he not been met with the overwhelming success.

Speaking with XXL for its fall 2021 issue, the star, who just scored a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 with his debut album, Montero, admitted that he wouldn’t have had the courage to come out of the closet. “I don’t think I would have ever came out,” Nas admitted to journalist Kris Ex. “I honestly felt like it was kind of my duty. Especially if I wanted to move forward. And [with] what I was doing, because authenticity is very real, and I feel like people can see right through that. And that’s a part of me."

As expected, Lil Nas X had a fear about how the public would react after coming out as gay. “I used to ‘like’ comments where people were like, ‘Oh, I like him, because he’s not all in your face about it.’ And then I realized kind of what that was,” he explained. “It’s kind of like when people say, ‘Oh, I have a Black friend,’ and that kind of sits on everything that have to do with their Black history and culture, whatnot. I’m kind of like, I’m not that person, you know?”

Thankfully, Lil Nas X has found comfort in his own skin and is reaping the success of that. Aside from his debut album's placement, the set boasts three singles in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 tier: “That’s What I Want” (No. 10), “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (No. 9) and “Industry Baby” (No. 2).