It seems Lil Nas X took his horse down the “Old Town Road” to São Paulo. The “Industry Baby” rapper suggested his next big music project may have some Brazilian flavor.
“I want to drop this good-ass, fire-ass music first, and then I’m gonna be back out there [touring],” the 24-year-old (born Montero Lamar Hill) said at the world premiere of his documentary, Long Live Montero, on Saturday, September 9, per Exclaim!
The Toronto International Film Festival screening featured a panel during which Lil Nas X fielded some questions from the audience. When a fan asked what genres of music he wanted to explore next, Lil Nas X proposed a change in his sound. “Hear me out,” he replied. “I want to do some folk music. What else do I want to do? Like, Brazilian funk.”
However, Lil Nas X gave no details of when this new music would arrive. When another attendee asked him if he wanted to hang out, he said his hands were full with the follow-up to 2021’s MONTERO. “Not right now,” he said to the invite. “Once I complete this album, we’re going to chill.”
Earlier in the year, Lil Nas X chatted with his social media followers about his career path and next album. “I could easily just release music, but I have to build moments around this s–t. I have to go bigger than before,” he tweeted in February. He said that his album would drop “most likely summer,” though that deadline has since passed.
The “Call Me By Your Name” rapper also hinted that his upcoming album would be less sad than his debut. “I didn’t make many of those [sad songs because I’ve] been too happy lately,” he said, adding that he’s unsure how long this record would be. “I love so many songs, plus I’m still in the studio making music, so it’s [going to] be hard to pick.”
Lil Nas X may need a Brazilian vacation to help him get inspired after the drama at TIFF. Us Weekly confirmed that Saturday’s screening of Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero was delayed by 30 minutes due to a bomb threat. When Lil Nas X arrived at the event, he was told to wait before walking the red carpet until the authorities deemed the coast was clear.
“Earlier this evening, we were made aware by the Toronto Police Service of an investigation in the vicinity of the red carpet for the Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero screening,” said Judy Lung, TIFF’s Vice President of Public Relations and Communications, in a statement to Us. “Our standard security measures remained in place during this time, and the screening commenced with a slight delay. To our knowledge, this was a general threat and not directed at the film or the artist.”
