Montero - Lil Nas X: Review
Lil Nas X
is one of the newest and biggest stars in the world of contemporary pop and rap music. A few years ago he scored one of the all time most dominant summer chart hits with his breakout song Old Town Road and has been teasing tracks on social media leading up to this debut album for almost two years. Earlier this year he broke potential one hit wonder claims with a trio of singles, two of which managed to be major chart hits.
Review By Lav:
I think it's worth stepping back and realizing just how meteoric the rise of Lil Nas X has been. I vividly remember when the news story broke that Old Town Road wasn't eligible for the country music charts and my only thought being that I was surprised that a song I had only ever heard on Tik Tok was even scoring enough streams to chart anywhere. So clearly after he teamed up with Billy Ray Cyrus and the song became a mega hit the questions becomes is he capable of bucking the sonic aesthetics of his first big hit to become a career pop star. In 2019 his 7 EP didn't do a lot to quell those suspicions as even though he expanded his sonic palette, it didn't really amount to much. But two years and a few big singles later I was pretty excited to hear his full length debut. The album itself is a versatile and loosely conceptual series of tracks that addresses Lil Nas X's place in the music industry and the artistic metamorphosis he's undergone since first breaking out. It pleases on a number of levels as a debut album and a coherent pop project, but from a songwriting stand point it's largely inconsistent.
So the lead up to Montero featured a trio of singles that predicted the records two sided sonic experience. If it wasn't clear enough already from my praising of the particular singles I did across the last few months, I strongly prefer the peppy, upbeat bangers that litter the first half of the record. Lead single and opening track Montero is a fun cut that's been in my rotation all summer. I love the fusion of trap drums and rap verses with the pop hook and plucked guitars. The whole thing is sleek, simple and absolutely infectious. Industry Baby is even better and has become my favorite song of Lil Nas X's entire career thus far. The Daytrip beat is absolute butter and the hook is a totally slick earworm that I can't get enough of. Nas and guest Jack Harlow drop smooth flows and infuse the track with charming personality that is like the best case scenario for one of his songs.
That's What I Want is a full on dive into strict radio pop as a lovesick but unmistakably upbeat track. While the elevating vocals on the hook aren't perfect the amateurish nature of the singing does actually work kind of well with the tracks lustful nature. The best of the records deep cuts comes on Dolla Sign Slime. Before I waste time talking about Lil Nas X's performance or the tracks solid beat I should just skip right to the point, Megan Thee Stallion absolutely OWNS this song. Her fast flows and sexual bars are executed flawlessly and her impeccable poise makes for a hard-hitting completely infectious addition to the track.
One Of Me sort of stands out in the first leg of the record with it's Elton John piano and lyrics about Lil Nas haters who hoped he'd be a one hit wonder. The track actually works well with its topical focus and has a dense but charmingly assembled array of sounds. Dead Right Now is another track that feels like a marching band anthem with rattling drum lines and chanted backing vocals. I'm not sure the hook is quite as catchy as some of the others here and the bridge feels weirdly way less exciting than anything else. Regardless it's a fine song that fits in with many of the track in the opening leg.
Lost In The Citadel is probably the least memorable song on the entire record. I don't think it's bad or anything but the most attention grabbing thing is the weirdly rough production on the track. The song itself is far less elaborate than most of what else is here but I find it hard to complain too much about it. The only dud in the first leg of the record is Scoop which attempts to be a very hard-hitting banger but the flexes fall well short. The beat is fine but not one of my favorites here and when it gets harder it gets even less exciting somehow. On top of this the hook here is one of the records weakest. Doja Cat is certainly funny in her short appearance but it doesn't change my outlook on the song.
Don't Want It is a track that gets buried in the second half of the tracklist but I think it could have been a really good bridge between the banger start to the record and the more indulgent emotional finish. Even though I don't love the track I could see it being really useful for that purpose but it's placed really awkwardly.
As I've said a few times the second half of the record slows it down with the songs much more focused on Lil Nas X's insecurities rather than his accomplishments. Life After Salem is by far my favorite of these songs as it delivers a spacious atmosphere and some raucous electric guitars. The second half of the track is a head rush that feels so thickly dramatic alongside the subject matter and sees Lil Nas really elevating his performance. Tales Of Dominica is also a decent cut that expands the records instrumental palette even further with some pretty strings supporting the balladic structure and the emotional themes it bares. It definitely gives off some 2000's pop singer crooning vibes which obviously sounds dated but it's also clear that the emotions on display are being portrayed authentically.
Am I Dreaming is the closing track that sees Lil Nas trading out Billy Ray for Miley Cyrus. The song has a ton of potential in theory given that Miley sounds a lot more natural over these plucked guitars than Lil Nas does. Weirdly enough though the two can't really get on the same page vocally for much of the track and their chemistry sounds really awkward even if there are some individual moments that I really like in a vacuum. Sun Goes Down is a track I had forgotten about completely since it was released as a single which says almost all of what needs to be said. While I think releasing a song like this is certainly responsible and it addresses some painful issues like bullying head on, I can't help but wish it had something in the way of memorable refrains. the drum kick also feels weirdly inappropriate given how serious the subject matter of the track is.
Void was almost a fantastic moment for the record as it builds up in the swelling and very dramatic way that a good ballad does. Both the instrumentation and songwriting manage to rise in intensity simultaneously as Lil Nas X works towards the decision to run away from home. Unfortunately all of that build-up goes away when we get to the chorus which is pretty badly under written and features some very difficult to listen to vocals. Lil Nas X is pushing his range as a vocalist all over this album and it occasionally works out well but this is the only moment where I think it's kind of a disaster and wrecks what could have been one of the records best tracks.
Montero is proof that on the high end, Lil Nas X has the staying power to be a pop star for a very long time. He shows off his versatility, his hitmaking, bares raw emotions and stands out in the pop landscape as a unique artist. All of those things add up to some supremely entertaining and memorable moments. It's the details where the record falls short of it's potential. The tracklist is arranged in a way that doesn't do it's song justice particularly in the second half. There are some duds in the mix that really should have been left behind. And in an attempt to expand his sound as much as he can as quickly as he can, Lil Nas X steps into territory that he isn't quite ready for. Despite that this is a good debut that's far better than his first EP and does a good job of representing and punctuating the artistic metamorphosis that the whole era has been built around. 6.5/10
This cover is cool. It's in your face and extravagant. The director behind it is one of my favorite photographers Charlotte Rutherford and she has been working with Lil Nas X since he first blew up. I love her take on 3D worlds mixed with classic imagery and adding all of that into making a great image. The colors and composition are perfect and I think the only downside is that you can't see all of the details in the image because you'll usually view this on a phone screen. Overall this cover is a hit. 9/10
For more pop and rap check out my review of Drake's Certified Lover Boy here
