"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" is a song by the American rapper and singerLil Nas X. First previewed in aSuper Bowl LV commercial in February 2021, the song was released on March 26, 2021, throughColumbia Records,[2] as thelead single and title track from his debut studio album,Montero (2021). It was written by Lil Nas X along with its producers,Take a Daytrip,Omer Fedi, and Roy Lenzo.[3][4][5]
The song is noted for itsqueer themes, including itsgay references and lyrics, taking its name from a 2007 book,Call Me by Your Name, which centers on a gay romance. The "camp",[6] tongue-in-cheek, sexually charged music video for the song depicts Lil Nas X in a number of ironic yet thought-provokingChristian-inspired scenes, including the artist riding astripper pole toHell, and giving alap dance toSatan. The song and video were praised by commentators for their black and queer sensibilities, though the video received backlash from a number of American conservative figureheads who deemed the content "immoral" or harmful to children.
In 2019,Lil Nas X released "Old Town Road", a single that would go on toset a record for the longest-charting number-one song on theBillboard Hot 100.[7] However, with some people dismissing his success as aone-hit wonder, Lil Nas X wanted to depart from thecountry trap sound of "Old Town Road" when working on his debut album; instead, he focused onrap,pop, andR&B, influenced byDrake andNicki Minaj.[7]Take a Daytrip, who produced the song, described the process behind creating the song as serendipitous.[8] In early 2020, Lil Nas X asked the production duo toexecutively produce his debut album, and started recording ideas on his phone duringCOVID-19 lockdown. In a recording session, Lil Nas X came up with the lyrics "Call me when you want, call me when you need, call me in the morning", which led to producerOmer Fedi recording a guitar part, which was then done on banjo.[8]
Originally titled "Call Me by Your Name",[9] Lil Nas X played a snippet of the song in aTwitter video on July 9, 2020, as well as in the background of variousTikTok videos, including one that was addressed to hip-hop rapper6ix9ine.[10] It was featured in aLogitech commercial that aired duringSuper Bowl LV in February 2021.[11] On March 9, 2021, its release date was announced via Twitter, along with its cover.[12] The single cover was created by Spanish–Croatian artistFilip Ćustić and features Lil Nas X as bothAdam andGod in a reinterpretation ofMichelangelo'sThe Creation of Adam.[13][14]
The song's title is taken from Lil Nas X's first name, while the subtitle is a reference to the2017 LGBT romance-themed film of the same name.[15][16][17]André Aciman, author ofthe novel from which the film was adapted, expressed that he was grateful and humbled that Lil Nas X had written a song with the same name as his novel.[18] Lil Nas X later stated the film was one of the firstqueer movies he had ever seen that felt "very artsy" and made him interested in the concept of "calling somebody by your own name as lovers and trying to keep it between you two", inspiring him to write about it.[19]
In an interview withZane Lowe on the day before the release, he described his newfound self-confidence after being able to express himself freely in his new song.[20] Furthermore, in the May issue ofGQ Style, he described the conflict between his sexuality and hisChristian upbringing, notably his father's role as agospel singer, calling the new song and video "rebellious" because they allowed him to express himself in a way he hadn't before.[21] On the day of the single's release, Lil Nas X shared anopen letter to his 14-year-old self on Twitter, reflecting on his choice tocome out at an early age and his nervousness about the song.[20][22] However, he ultimately says it "will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist" and expressed his desire to let people be who they are.[20]
The song, like many of Lil Nas X's past projects, featuresqueer themes.[36] Renting out anAirbnb at the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic to work on his debut album, Lil Nas X revealed that it was written about a man he met in mid-2020 who was partying and taking drugs while in quarantine.[15][20] In its lyrics, Lil Nas X tells his lover he no longer wants to be on thedown-low.[37] He features the line "shoot a child in yo' mouth whileI'm ridin'", which was intended to help break the stigma around references togay sexual practices in music.[15][20] Lil Nas X revealed he was afraid of turning away straight fans with an explicit lyric about gay sex, but decided "if they feel offended, they were never really here for me."[7] The lyrics also discuss the pressure Lil Nas X feels in representing theLGBT community ("A sign of the times every time that I speak") and include a reference to the 19 weeks his single "Old Town Road" spent atop theBillboard Hot 100 ("A dime and a nine / It was mine every week").[31]
The original track and music video were released on March 26, 2021,[38] with an extended version released on March 29.[32] In addition, Lil Nas X released a number of follow-up videos via hisYouTube channel, including a muffled version (titled "MONTERO but ur in the bathroom of hell while lil nas is giving satan a lap dance in the other room") on March 28,[39] an instrumental version (subtitled "But Lil Nas X Is Silent The Entire Time") on March 31,[40] a behind-the-scenes look behind the song's recording process (subtitled "Official Video except its not the official video at all") on April 5,[41] and alo-fi version (subtitled "but it's lofi and something you can study to lol") on April 9.[42] The lo-fi version was produced by L. Dre and Zeuz Makes Music, and was previously uploaded to the latter's YouTube channel a few days earlier.[43] On April 23, he released ana cappella version along with an accompanying music video in the style ofThe Brady Bunch.[44]
Following the song's release, he launched a promotion on Twitter where he gave out$100,000 worth ofBitcoin.[14] He also offered $10,000 through a pole dancing challenge on the social media platformTikTok, with the hashtag #PoleDanceToHell.[45] Another promotional tool was a collaboration withaugmented realitymobile app Jadu, in which users can interact with avolumetric video-generated Lil Nas X wearing red angel wings.[46][47] In addition, a freebrowser game titledTwerk Hero was released, in which the player controls a virtual Lil Nas Xtwerking to "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)".[48] Developed by Roni Games using theUnreal Engine, therhythm game has four levels, each accompanying a scene from the song's music video, and was noted for itsjiggle physics.[49][50][51] Lil Nas X also unveiled severalT-shirts in collaboration with Pizzaslime.[52]
On April 13, it was reported that the song was briefly removed fromstreaming services for unknown reasons, after Lil Nas X had asked his fans to stream the song "because it may no longer be available tomorrow".[53] Columbia Records released a statement that the situation was "out of their control", but did not elaborate.[53] However, later the same day,Billboard reported that the song was not being removed from streaming services, though no further explanation was offered.[54][55]
Tying into the music video's theme, Lil Nas X collaborated with art collectiveMSCHF Product Studio to create666 individually numbered pairs ofNike Air Max 97 "Satan Shoes" adorned withpentagrams,inverted crosses, and the Bible verseLuke 10:18.[56][57] They also contain 66 cc (4.0 cu in) of ink mixed with one drop of blood from a member of the MSCHF team in the sole, which was collected over the course of a week.[58][59][60] The shoes, which were priced at $1,018 per pair and sold out in under a minute,[60] were compared tocomic books by rock bandKiss andMarvel Comics that were printed using the band members' blood.[61]Nike, Inc. was not involved with the design or release of the shoes,[58][62] and later filed a lawsuit against MSCHF for trademark infringement and dilution.[63][64] In defense, MSCHF claimed that the shoes were meant to be a form of art for display and not to actually be worn. A U.S. District Court in New York approved of a temporary restraining order against MSCHF, thereby preventing further sales of the shoes, though they were already shipped to their buyers.[65] The lawsuit was eventually settled, with MSCHF issuing a voluntaryproduct recall and buying back any Satan Shoes at their original price.[66]
Lil Nas X performed the song as the musical guest on the last episode ofseason 46 ofSaturday Night Live. Airing May 22, 2021, and hosted by actressAnya Taylor-Joy, the episode also featured the performance of his newest song "Sun Goes Down". During the performance of "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", awardrobe malfunction occurred, splitting the seam of his trousers when he squatted during a pole dance routine, leaving him unable to perform it as planned.[67] Lil Nas X also performed the song at the2021 BET Awards on June 27, 2021. Theancient Egypt-themed performance was a tribute to the visuals of "Remember the Time" byMichael Jackson and ended with the singer kissing a male backup dancer.[68][69]Billboard ranked the performance number-one out of the sixteen in the ceremony, noting it was "the highlight of the night".[70]Madonna compared the performance with her2003 MTV Video Music Awards performance, when she kissedChristina Aguilera andBritney Spears on stage while performing "Hollywood", by sharing the photos of both kisses one above the other on herInstagram stories and captioning it with "#DidItFirst". Fans immediately perceived the post as an insult and began to criticise Madonna; however, Lil Nas X dismissed the post as a joke and stated he's friends with Madonna.[71]
Detail fromThe Garden of Earthly Delights, one of the works cited by director Tanu Muino as an inspiration for the imagery in the music video for "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)".
The music video for "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" was directed by Ukrainian music video directorTanu Muino and Lil Nas X and was released along with the single.[36] Shot over two days in February 2021,[72][73] it features Lil Nas X as various characters in biblical and mythology-inspired scenes.[36] While inLos Angeles, Muino expressed her interest in working with Lil Nas X toColumbia Records; the label contacted her in late January 2021 while she was working on the music video forCardi B's "Up".[74] She spent two weeks on pre-production with her collaborators before shooting with Lil Nas X.[75] Muino drew inspiration fromDante'sInferno and paintings byHieronymus Bosch, includingThe Garden of Earthly Delights—atriptych depicting heavenly and hellish imagery and theLast Judgment.[74] It was Muino's first video as co-director, part of which was done remotely viaZoom after she had falsely tested positive forCOVID-19.[74] Anthony H. Nguyen was responsible for the make-up in the video while the hairstyling was done by Evanie Frausto.[76] Visual effects for the music video were done by Mathematic, a French animation studio based inParis, in a process that took seven weeks.[72] They opted for avideo game-inspired look in order to spread a "message of tolerance".[72]
In an interview withTime, Lil Nas X revealed that inspiration for the video came from the animated television seriesSpongeBob SquarePants and the filmCall Me by Your Name.[73] He also discussed the music video for "Cellophane" byFKA Twigs as an influence, stating, "I wanted to see some things people have done in music videos with the pole—and I felt like Twigs did a really amazing job at that... I wanted to do my own take on it."[73]Vulture reported that this was an homage to honor Twigs following her loss to Lil Nas X in theGrammy Award for Best Music Video category.[16] However, "Cellophane" directorAndrew Thomas Huang posted a comparison of the two videos' visual similarities onInstagram, explaining that Lil Nas X's label had contacted him prior to the recording of the video to possibly direct it and had instead hired the same choreographer.[73][77] He further elaborated, "When someone who is commercially successful makes work that lives so similarly next to ours and profits from it on such a massive scale, then I felt like I had to speak up", but said he blamed record labels rather than Lil Nas X.[73] FKA Twigs and Lil Nas X later had a conversation regarding the comparison and praised each other's videos on Instagram.[78]
In addition to itsbiblical references and symbolism, the music video features a running theme of duality, includinggood vs. evil andmasculinity vs. femininity.[17] A Greek quotation fromPlato'sSymposium is shown on thetree of life: "After the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half".[17][20] The scene in the Colosseum was seen as a reference tothe trial ofJesus beforePontius Pilate,[83] while the judges' costumes were inspired by theall-denim outfits worn byBritney Spears andJustin Timberlake in 2001.[74] The Latin phrase "Damnant quod non intelligunt" is written on the ground below Satan, which translates to "they condemn what they do not understand".[17] According to a press release accompanying the video, the final scene represents "dismantling the throne of judgement and punishment that has kept many of us from embracing our true selves out of fear."[17]
An analysis of the music video's symbolism by historians compared the snake figure toLilith fromJewish mythology, who has often been depicted as a serpentinedemon. The stoning scene saw Lil Nas X represented as aChristian martyr and the angelic figure was seen to representGanymede fromGreek mythology, who is widely regarded as a symbol of homosexuality.[84] The video also drew comparisons with the characterHIM from the animated seriesThe Powerpuff Girls, for portraying the devil as a "queer-coded" entity or a "red, gay man", a trope that became prominent in cartoons from the1990s.[85][86] Rebecca Long wrote forObserver: "Intentionally or not, Lil Nas X draws on this history in 'Montero', reclaiming the motif and continuing a long tradition of queerblasphemy".[85]
The song and music video received praise from several outlets for being "unabashedly queer".[36][82][87]Variety's Adam B. Vary wrote that the video "changed everything for queer music artists", noting that some LGBT artists likeJonathan Knight ofNew Kids on the Block andLance Bass ofNSYNC sang about women while stayingcloseted, while others likeElton John andRicky Martin did not explicitly sing about their sexuality.[82] He described the sexual imagery, including the pole dance, as evoking images of Madonna orJanet Jackson, without the need to hide hishomosexuality.[82] He also remarked that artists likeFrank Ocean andTroye Sivan were bolder about their sexuality, but had never reached the same level of commercial success as Lil Nas X.[82] David Harris, a magister of theChurch of Satan, approved of the music video's portrayal ofconsensual sexuality as well as the ending of Lil Nas X crowning himself Satan.[79]
The music video received criticism from conservative commentators in the United States who deemed it immoral or harmful to children.[79][88][89]Governor of South DakotaKristi Noem,[90] conservative punditCandace Owens,[90]Kaitlin Bennett,[91] and evangelical pastorMark Burns[92] all reacted negatively on Twitter, as did rapperJoyner Lucas[93] and athletesNick Young[90] andTrevor Lawrence.[94] In response to criticism, Lil Nas X wrote on Twitter: "There is amass shooting every week thatour government does nothing to stop. Me sliding down aCGI pole isn't what's destroying society" and "I am an adult. I am not gonna spend my entire career trying to cater to your children. That is your job", among other retorts.[88][89] However, he also confessed that the backlash was "putting an emotional toll" on him.[65]
The controversy has been described as being part of the marketing strategy for the song. Neena Rouhani ofBillboard depicted the social media outrage as his "greatest marketing tool", and Kevin Meenan, a music charts manager atYouTube, described it as "very explicit", and that controversy was his goal.[97]Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times compared the controversy to bait, and a performance ofmoral panic, noting how he uses Twitter as a "performance space ... with an almost limitless audience".[98]
The visuals of the music video became popular on social media, with the pole dance becoming ameme onTikTok.[99] Additionally, the music video and its reception were lampooned on aSaturday Night Livecold open, withChris Redd as Lil Nas X discussing the controversy withChloe Fineman as Britney Spears.[100] In June 2021, a 36 ft × 36 ft (11 m × 11 m) mural depicting three of Lil Nas X's looks in the music video was put up inPhiladelphia's Gayborhood.[101]
"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" debuted at the top of theBillboard Hot 100 for the week of April 10, 2021, with 21,000 downloads, 46.9 million streams, and 1.1 million radio airplay audience impressions.[117] It also debuted at number one onBillboard'sStreaming Songs chart and the USRolling Stone Top 100, and at number two on theBillboardDigital Song Sales chart.[117][118] The song reached number one on the latter chart during its third week, selling 19,500 downloads and rising from number 3 to become his second leader after his 2019 hit "Old Town Road" solo or featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.[119]
In the United Kingdom, "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" was the most-streamed song during its week of release, with 6.8 million plays (including 2.5 million video streams), and debuted at the top of theUK Singles Chart on April 2, 2021 – for the week ending date April 8, 2021 – becoming Lil Nas X's second number one song in Britain following "Old Town Road" in April 2019.[120] The song sold 62,000 copies and was streamed 8.6 million times in its second week at the top. The song spent five weeks atop the chart.[121]
In Ireland, the song also debuted at the top of theIrish Singles Chart on April 2, 2021 – for the week ending date April 8, 2021 – becoming Lil Nas X's second number one song in the Irish Republic following "Old Town Road" in April 2019.[122] The following week, it stayed atop the chart and was the most-streamed song in the country that week.[123]
In Australia, the song debuted at number 16 on theARIA Singles Chart as the highest debut of the week and soared to number 3 the following week, becoming his second top ten hit on the chart. The song later reached its peak of number 1.[124]
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^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 14. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
^Arvunescu, Victor (May 10, 2021)."Piesa asta o să te prindă şi pe tine!" [Top Airplay 100 – This song will get you too!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. RetrievedMay 10, 2021.
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