Lil Nas X is a household name by now, after breaking multiple records with his country-trap hybrid single “Old Town Road” in 2018 the world had its eye on him. His mix of unique beats and visual style captivated both audiences and listeners alike. Shortly after, he released his first EP, titled 7, which in my opinion was a mix of styles. He was still coming into his own and finding his sound whilst trying to push himself and the boundaries of his music. After a pandemic year and then some, he has finally released his debut album, Montero, which is a deeply personal album about self reflection, his sexuality, and his stature in the music industry.
The album starts with his biggest and most controversial hit so far, “MONTERO (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME)”. This song, while not the most complex, is a great start to the album, the 2 chord song is pretty unique beatwise and its very plucky guitar style lends itself well to the album. The clap drums and bass work very nicely in harmony with the flamenco style. The lyrics about owning up to his sexuality are also particularly strong.
Next we get to the areas which I like to call the brass section of the album, both “DEAD RIGHT NOW” and “INDUSTRY BABY” follow the title track and include heavy brass sections in the beats, the mixing is really well done on both these songs and even the whole album. The production is consistent and the lyrics on these 2 tracks like the title track are very personal. The playfulness of Industry Baby is a nice breather on the album of mostly sad or self reflective songs. It recaps some of his achievements in music and includes a Jack Harlow feature that is a pretty good complement to Lil Nas’ voice.
There are, however, two songs where I feel the album dips. “LOST IN THE CITADEL” and “THAT’S WHAT I WANT” feel derivative in a lot of ways. While I definitely appreciate the different sound Lil Nas was going for, “THAT’S WHAT I WANT” feels like a generic indie rock sound with nothing unique to offer. “LOST IN THE CITADEL” has some of the more simpler beats on the album. One of the great things about Lil Nas X is as an artist he always adds an interesting flair to his music, but I feel that that’s only true here in the sense that lyrically these songs are strong, but instrumentally they aren’t memorable.
Some of the last few songs on the album are probably my favorites. “DOLLA SIGN SLIME” with Megan Thee Stallion as a feature is super playful, it’s got a strong trap beat and it sounds awesome. I love the brass on this song like the previous ones; it complements well with the aforementioned trap beat. Megan Thee Stallion is one of the stronger rappers of today and her verses and vocals are complementary and very strong and elevate the song to a whole new level.
Finally, the last songs I thoroughly enjoyed off the album were ones I did not expect to like as much as I did. “SUN GOES DOWN” and “AM I DREAMING” prove that Lil Nas X, when he sticks the landing, is an extremely versatile artist. On my first listen to “SUN GOES DOWN” felt a bit average and not unique, but now in the context of the album I really enjoy the instrumentals, the fuzzy guitar really wraps a neat bow around the track. The lyrics about his early life dealing with bullying, these deeply personal vulnerabilities, make the song stronger and worth the listen. The last song “AM I DREAMING” surprised me because I’m not a huge Miley Cyrus fan but this song was fairly nice, the instrumentals were well produced and vocally I thought Miley Cyrus sounded nice. It was a good use of a feature, although I thought the distortion on Lil Nas’ voice was clearer than Cyrus’.
Overall this is an album with some pop duds, but it’s a solid debut and I’m excited to see where he goes especially with such strong features.
Favorites: “Dead Right Now”, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”, “Industry Baby”, “Dolla Sign Slime”, “Sun Goes Down”, “Am I Dreaming”
Least Favorites: “Lost in the Citadel”, “That’s What I Want”
