The Lil Nas X Cinematic Universe
The crossover between music artists and film seems to be as old as cinema itself. From Whitney Houston’s performance in The Bodyguard, all the way back to Elvis’ string of box office bonanzas (that my mum still watches to this day).
Yet, it was Michael Jackson that captured the imagination of millions around the world with an oh so infamous music video. Picture the scene, it’s 2008 and it’s just been announced that the King of Pop is dead. Every radio station is playing his music, but every TV channel is playing Thriller. I, as an eleven year old, remember this because I was in a car dealership looking up at an old 4:3 TV screen, terrified. It’s ironic because I want to be a horror filmmaker, but that’s besides the point. What I was witnessing was something millions had experienced thirty years ago. I saw what music videos could be. Not the one dimensional half-arsed vanity projects that came before it, with a band standing on a makeshift studio stage with a couple of cameras flying past them. This was cinema, and cinema at it’s most captivating (even if it was playing on repeat on MTV).
In his latest string of music videos, Lil Nas X has truly captured the imaginations, and fury, of the world. It’s not to say that the formula he’s using is new, in many ways it’s another in a long legacy of the visual world of Michael Jackson sparked by Thriller. Still, a mixture incredible audience success and it’s timely message of self expression has launched this musical and visual artist to a whole other level.
It’s obvious with (most of) Nas’ video instalments that his beautiful mind lives in CGI infested super-world that us mere mortals couldn’t even dream of. From futuristic cities, the Garden of Eden and even the depths of hell; it’s a wonder to behold. And if I’d just been launched into mega stardom as a early twenty-something, I’d probably do exactly the same.
Whether he’s twerking on the devil, or selling Satan’s shoes, there’s something Lil Nas X is proving to be an expert in — provoking people’s feelings. But like all great art, it’s specifically tailored to make you act out and get you mad so you can begin to perform some much needed introspection.
The last three videos he’s released play to me like an epic trilogy.
The first, and arguably the most controversial, MONETRO (Call Me By Your Name), see’s Nas being tempted by the snake in the garden and sent from heaven, down to hell where he has a special meeting with the devil. The Christian community was in outrage. Pastors preaching to their congregations that video was evil (ironically whilst holding non-socially distanced church services with thousands of people before the vaccine was fully distributed).
The point of the video was to point out the in-discrepancies between the church and queer people. You think we’re going to hell? Well then, watch us. Oh, you’re offended now? You just told us we’re going to hell.
Then came Sun Goes Down, a touching look at life as a gay man of colour, trying to navigate himself through the highs and lows of youth. Set on the back drop of a high school prom, the video deals with the ever present desire to run away when times get hard.
And most recently, my personal favourite, Industry Baby brings the trilogy full circle. A joyous, up-beat anthem enthused with captivating imagery that celebrates queerness at it’s fullest degree. After being sentenced to Montero State Prison, Lil Nas X asks the question if Usher can have a group of women twerking on him in a music video, why can’t I have a group of men?
The reason I see it as a visual trilogy is that it starts with the preamble that all queer people growing up in religious backgrounds face. Before we take a step out in this world, the community that raised has already set us up to fail, believing that who we were created to be is somehow toxic. Then we go about our lives in the rearview mirror of that fact, trying to balance our friends, family and our lives. And all that happens until we learn to accept ourselves, which ends in our own personal triumph and victory.
Lil Nas X has used the music video medium to promote positive queer representation. He does it in media landscape that believes representation is having a gay friend in a TV show, or by having two characters kiss each other for a few seconds. In essence, Lil Nas X is doing what Hollywood hasn’t yet been able to do; free and open expression of queerness. For many of us, we are still waiting to see ourselves on that big screen. We’ve tasted it, but maybe it’s time to feast on it.
Now, that’s not to diminish the work to brave filmmakers past. Philadelphia educated me, Brokeback Mountain inspired me and Love Simon truely warmed my heart. Yet, in many circumstances, films employ a seemingly prehistoric attitude to LGBT+ people; don’t ask, don’t tell.
A character can seem effeminate, maybe even divert from gender stereotypes, but would still be someone you grandma would ask ‘why doesn’t that nice young boy have a girlfriend yet?’. It’s staring you in the face grandma, but unless they say it out-loud, does it really count?
While I can’t say that music videos directly influence the decision making powers that be, I can say that if there’s an audience for something it’ll make the right amount of noise to get people interested.
Lil Nas X is changing the game, doing it unapologetically and using a visual medium to do it with. I just can’t wait for more of the Lil Nas X Cinematic Universe.
