Lil Nas X claps back at haters after unveiling new single artwork: ‘STFU’
"Yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born," the 24-year-old has said
Lil Nas X is an artist who has never held back when it comes to responding to critics. We’ve seen it time again, notably following the release of ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’.
And he’s clapping back once again after the critics turned out to hate on the artwork for his new single ‘J Christ’.
The 24-year-old ‘Panini’ singer debuted the artwork on social media on Monday (8 January). It shows the ‘Old Town Road’ rapper on a cross being raised by several people. He captioned his posts: “MY NEW SINGLE IS DEDICATED TO THE MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME!”
It follows other recent posts teasing his “comeback” and hints that Lil Nas X was in his “Christian era.” He also repeated that the new track, ‘J Christ,’ would be released on 12 January at midnight Eastern Standard Time (5am in the UK)
Lil Nas X also posted a short video showing himself on a golden cross which transforms into a suit of armour around the singer. The post also contains a link to pre-save the single at BeginningisNear.com.
“Nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus”
And it didn’t take long for the haters to crawl out of the woodwork. The singer has been lambasted for his use of religious imagery. Many of the Montero artist’s fans equally came out to defend him. However, it wasn’t long before Lil Nas X responded in his usual upfront and unapologetic manner.
“The crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus,” he said. “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of shit. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu”
The criticism appears to have come from the same sections of society that took umbrage with the artist’s visuals for his 2021 hit ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’. In the defiantly queer music video, Lil Nas X slides down a pole to hell where he lapdances with Satan. It also makes people’s homophobia even more apparent as no matter what imagery Lil Nas X uses, people have an issue.
‘J Christ’ is available from 12 January.