I’m a couple of months late to the ‘MONTERO’ conversation. I never wrote about the Satan sneakers or the devil’s lapdance, or anything else about Lil Nas X’s second #1 single that got the religious right so flustered.
To paraphrase one YouTube commenter, it’s funny how homophobes told Lil Nas X he would burn in hell, and now they’re mad when he takes their advice.
This is a good song that establishes Lil Nas X as more than a one-hit wonder. His ‘Old Town Road’ set a record for most weeks at #1, but even so, was often dismissed as a novelty.
‘MONTERO’ has a lot more depth, musically and lyrically. And it’s refreshing to see a young gay man so fully embracing his sexuality and finding widespread commercial success in the process.
I caught it bad yesterday
You hit me with a call to your place
Ain’t been out in a while anyway
Was hopin’ I could catch you throwin’ smiles in my face
Romantic talkin’? You don’t even have to try
You’re cute enough to fuck with me tonight
Lookin’ at the table, all I see is weed and white
Baby, you livin’ the life, but nigga, you ain’t livin’ right
[Pre-Chorus]
Cocaine and drinkin’ with your friends
You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend
I’m not fazed, only here to sin
If Eve ain’t in your garden, you know that you can
[Chorus]
Call me when you want, call me when you need
Call me in the morning, I’ll be on the way
Call me when you want, call me when you need
Call me out by your name, I’ll be on the way like
[Post-Chorus]
Mmm, mmm, mmm
Mmm, mmm, mmm
[Verse 2]
Ayy, ayy
I wanna sell what you’re buyin’
I wanna feel on your ass in Hawaii
I want that jet lag from fuckin’ and flyin’
Shoot a child in your mouth while I’m ridin’
Oh, oh, oh, why me?
A sign of the times every time that I speak
A dime and a nine, it was mine every week
What a time, an incline, God was shinin’ on me
Now I can’t leave
And now I’m actin’ hella elite
Never want the niggas that’s in my league
I wanna fuck the ones I envy, I envy
[Pre-Chorus]
Cocaine and drinkin’ with your friends
You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend
I’m not fazed, only here to sin
If Eve ain’t in your garden, you know that you can
[Chorus]
Call me when you want, call me when you need
Call me in the morning, I’ll be on the way
Call me when you want, call me when you need
Call me out by your name, I’ll be on the way like
[Post-Chorus]
Oh, call me by your name (Mmm, mmm, mmm)
Tell me you love me in private
Call me by your name (Mmm, mmm, mmm)
I do not care if you lyin’
Meet Me In Montauk 
Love the song, the video, the man. His performances on SNL this past weekend, including in the Pride sketch/video, were wonderful. At the end of his second song, stripped of all the elaborate choreography and strutting, he looked into the camera, and I saw him as the young man he is, relatively new to this whole world, talented, eager, nervous; he could have been my son. Montero is his real name. I’m hoping the Cool Guy will stop by with the back story he provided us when the video first dropped a couple of months ago. Needless to say, I am a FAN.
I don’t have much to add to what you and Amy have said. I will say more generally though that it seems to be a better time for music with the current crop of Billboard toppers than I recall it being for quite some time.
Love me some Lil Nas X! Don’t have much to add other than that. Daniel showed me some great songs off his first EP, and I can tell he’s going to keep getting better and better. Truly an icon in the making.
I was a huge fan of “Old Town Road” before we got to know the inspiring individual behind the song. It took immense bravery for him to come out at the peak of that song’s popularity. Around that time I made it my responsibility to do everything in my power to ensure it broke the record for longest time atop the billboard charts. I loved his EP and will say that “Panini” (the other moderate hit from there) deserves even more love and airplay.
This song surpassed all my greatest expectations for what I wished the Lil Nas X comeback would look like. He’s so earnest yet brilliant in all of his music and the promotion of that music. He’s impossible to not root for in my opinion. I’m a huge fan and I can’t wait to see what this incoming album brings!