Lil Nas X is welcoming us to his MCU—Montero Cinematic Universe—with debut album announcement

Industry shaker Lil Nas X has finally announced his debut album. Mirroring the trailer stylings of Marvel, the teaser shows iconic moments from his career thus far, from his track “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus to his most recent satanic panic spurring video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” The final frame reveals the title of the album, Montero, stemming from Lil Nas X’s name, Montero Lamar Hill.

Lil Nas X erupted onto the music scene in 2019 with the country-trap song “Old Town Road,” quickly becoming a viral sensation. His debut track spurred a revival in Black Western aesthetics and a renewed understanding of Black people’s role in cowboy history. Subsequent remixes were released featuring country star Billy Ray Cyrus, Manson Ramsey, Young Thug, and RM from the K-pop group BTS. Following the release of “Old Town Road,” the Country Music Awards received flack for the lack of nominations for the genre-bending artist. Over the last two years, Lil Nas X has released several singles, including “Panini,” “Rodeo (feat. Nas),” Sun Goes Down,” and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).”

Pushing the limits of the confines of sexuality and gender expression, especially within the Black rap community, Lil Nas X recently pole danced on SNL, made out with a male dancer at the BET Awards, and consistently speaks out for those in the gay community. In his music he regularly works through his experiences as a gay Black man, and the bullying he’s been subjected to over the years. He also challenges the restrictions of genre, fusing hip-hop, pop, country, and more in the singles he’s released so far. Lil Nas X became a household name over the last few years, all without releasing an EP or full-length album. What is it that Nicki Minaj once said Oh yes, “50K for a verse, no album out. Yeah, my money’s so tall that my Barbies got to climb it.”