Lil Nas X is one of the biggest music stars on the planet, with the hit “Old Town Road” and his new album “Montero.” The singer-songwriter (whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill) talks with correspondent Tracy Smith about reinventing himself, his childhood, and his love of social media, in an interview for “CBS Sunday Morning,” to be broadcast January 2 on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Lil Nas X told Smith he was never really super-close to either of his parents, and he’s always felt like “a lone person.”
He said he finds comfort in social media: “That was probably one of the first places where I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is for me,'” he said.
He told Smith Twitter has been like his home: “It’s like my actual family … I’ve become closer with people who I met online than people who I’ve met in real life.
“I’ve learned the ways of the internet,” he added. “I’ve learned how to go viral, and what to stay out of.”
To watch Lil Nas X perform “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus), click on the video player below:
The artist also talked with Smith about his songwriting; his transformation (and the transformation of his work) since “Old Town Road” hit big; and how he celebrates his sexuality as a gay male singer.
“I feel like I’m much more ‘out there’ with it,” he said. “It’s always been: ‘Okay, you’re gay, this needs to be sanitized,’ [or] ‘Gay, but let’s not include anything sexual.’ It’s like, ‘Be gay without being gay.'”
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