music

Let the Montero Cinematic Universe Begin

Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

Hot off of his equally hot 2021 BET Awards performance and after deliciously taking down Twitter trolls — “We are 4 months in and people are still acting surprised that i am being gay and sexual in performances of a song about gay and sexual shit” — Lil Nas X took to Twitter Tuesday for some lighter news: announcing that his long-anticipated debut album, Montero, is “coming soon.” Accompanying the rapper’s announcement was a 20-second teaser of his upcoming single, “Industry Baby,” which is giving high-energy marching-band-style theatrics. Color us very excited.

And would it be Lil Nas X without serving up this news with anything other than a pitch-perfect meme? Inspired by [redacted by Marvel], lyrics flash by in the teaser video as past Lil Nas X characters, which we’d like to call the Lil Nasvengers (we’ll see ourselves out), appear onscreen. There’s Lil Nas X’s guardian angel, there’s the devil who enjoys lap dances, there’s Billy Ray Cyrus in a pink Western shirt and white cowboy hat. And how could we forget Chris Rock!? The Avengers can’t really compete at this point. And then, of course, there’s their leader, Lil Nas X, sliding down a pole into hell, transitioning us into a Montero: The Album logo. The whole announcement is high art. America’s ass, who!

Let the Montero Cinematic Universe Begin