How is life underneath that rock? Must be pretty nice to not have to see all these daily COVID figures, plummeting temperatures and rising precipitation levels. Oh, to live in a world without the drama of hotel quarantine escapees or extremely rare post-vaccine blood clots.
Despite the perils of reality however, we can't say for sure we would be willing to swap places for the simple reason that you and your fellow under-rock dwellers must be the only people left on this planet to not have been touched by the juggernaut smash hit that is 'MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)' by Lil Nas X.
Since the Tiktok sensation's latest single dropped exactly two weeks ago, it's been one of the most inescapable forces on both the internet and our airwaves thanks to its catchy, guitar-driven hooks and, of course, its highly controversial music video.
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If you don't already know (under-rock dwellers, we're looking at you), the high-budget visuals which accompany the record-breaking single depict the 'Old Town Road' star in a Biblically inspired fantasy world as he embarks on a sordid love affair with none other than Satan himself.
The video swoops through scenes of him roaming though plush, pink meadows to shots of him donning baby blue, Marie Antoinette-esque hairpieces in an ancient Roman-style court before culminating with the star's death and subsequent ascension to heaven.
Of course, he doesn't get very far, as half-way on his journey up to the heavenly kingdom he switches course, mounts a stripper pole and descends to the fiery pits of hell. Upon arrival he proceeds to give the man himself, Satan, a passionate lap dance before promptly breaking the dark lord's neck and taking his crown as the new leader of the underworld.
As most of you will know, the video has provoked quite the negative reaction from parents, homophobes and religious zealots everywhere. It has, in equal parts, delighted the liberal millennial and TikTok Generation (also known as Gen Z), spawning countless memes of young teens begging the bouncer on the gates of heaven to forgive their sins before being distracted by a poledancing Lil Nas X on his descent, sparking the thought - perhaps an eternity in hell might not be so bad after all?
Love it or hate it, there's no denying the single's impact, with many hailing Lil Nas X as a revolutionary gay artist, and the video as a turning point for queer representation in mainstream music. It's also, you know, insanely catchy which explains why after two weeks of backlash and uproar, the song has still managed to debut, with ease, at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Amongst all of this talk around the importance of representation and supporting queer pop stars across the pond, it's important to remember there's also an abundance of world-class pop music being made by an ever-growing pool of incredible, homegrown queer Irish artists.
To mark this pivotal moment in pop culture, we spoke to a number of trailblazers on the queer Irish music scene to hear what they have to say about 'MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)'. And for those of you who can't stop pressing replay on the song, we've also thoughtfully included some highlights from their repertoire to help inspire what you listen to next.
Xona
The Afro-Irish artist Xona has been following his dream of a career in music ever since he moved from Lagos to Ireland at the age of 10. Since early 2020, he's been living in London, working with songwriters and producers from both London, Dublin and also Berlin, to refine his sound. The result of his efforts can be heard on 'Waiting', his new single which drops today. The song somersaults effortlessly through his different emotions and influences, his smooth vocals underscored by the track's Robyn-esque melancholy synthpop instrumental that will have you gasping for a performative cry on the dance floor once clubs reopen.
"MONTERO is what I'd call democratically queer - art of the people, by the people and most importantly, for the people. It's not a Hollywood fed narrative of what it's like to be queer at this current turn of the decade, it's one I recognise," Xona explained. "It's ludicrous, loud, exciting but most of all, necessary. It shows the mainstream how we as queer people can paint our lives in so many colours."
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Jack Rua
Jack Rua is a Dublin based glam-pop artist and classically trained vocalist who blends expertly-crafted pop music with electronic-dance and glam-rock influences. We most recently heard Rua detailing his pandemic sexual frustration on the glossy electro-pop track 'Isolation' which can be heard below. The musician's next project is a genre-bending EP with US hyper-pop artist Saint Taint, entitled 'I Don't Party Enough Anymore' which is out on May 7th but you can check out a preview of the EP here.
On 'MONTERO' Rua commented: "Such overt expressions of queerness are so rare, especially in Ireland, so I hope that this can inspire younger queer artists here to be fearless in their expression."
"I also hope that it can mark a new chapter in culture where such overt expressions of queerness are not limited to queer circles and spaces and can be more accessible in the mainstream media."
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Elaine Mai
Since 2011 Elaine Mai has been a pinnacle artist on the queer Irish music scene, known almost as much for her amazing remixes of other artists tracks (including singles by Destiny's Child, Madonna and Irish band Pillow Queens) and guest vocals on Le Galaxie's hit 'Love System', as she is for her own original, atmospheric dance music.
With over a decade in the business under her belt, the Dublin native knows better than most about the importance of queer visibility in pop culture. "There was a lack of openly queer role models when I was growing up and I find it really refreshing and exciting to see this amazing track with such unapologetic queer energy and lyrics top the charts," she revealed. "Lil Nas X has spoken about his own journey of self-acceptance and I think his openness will help a lot of queer kids growing up today."
Like so many of us, Elaine too is enthralled by the song's presence on social media: "I also can't get enough of the TikToks inspired by the video! I highly recommend following Lil Nas X on TikTok to see some of the best ones."
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Tim Chadwick
Known for his 'sad bangers', Dublin pop artist Tim Chadwick has previously spoken about his hesitation to come out for fear it might damage his career. The opposite has been true for the star, whose career highs have included support slots for acts like Mabel, Hudson Taylor and Rufus Wainwright, as well as sold out solo shows. His most recent EP entitled 'Timothy' dropped last month, a triumphant return filled the sort high-emotion euphoric productions he's become best known for.
"Lil Nas X is celebrating his sexuality the exact same way that women have been rightfully celebrating theirs for years. Going by the remarks made against him and the video, it proves that there is still so much work to be done when it comes to accepting homosexuality among men, especially black men," Chadwick pointed out.
"The best art is controversial and even polarising. I think Lil Nas X has been consistently pushing the limits and the boundaries of what you can do and achieve as a queer artist within the music industry," he elaborated.
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SOAK
The Derry-born 24-year-old singer songwriter SOAK has been described as 'the queer, masculine-of-centre pop star you need to know' by them.us and it's not difficult to see why. They've been in the music game since they were just 15 years old, carving a name for themselves with their emotive song writing, kitsch visuals and distinctive, soulful voice. Their 2019 LP 'Grim Town' is an air tight collection of chill-pop ditties that will please a wide spectrum of listeners, from fans of Jorja Smith to The Drums.
SOAK didn't mince their words on the topic of 'MONTERO'. "Make a space for this video in The Louvre. I'm obsessed with how eloquently he combined pole dancing and Satan. No video budget is too large for Lil Nas X," they declared. "This is a beautifully bizarre move in terms of pushing boundaries and I've found the general reaction of confusion wonderful." We couldn't agree more.
PureGrand
Luke Faulkner, better known under the moniker PureGrand, is a self-confessed pop music freak. The aim of his work, he says, is to layer the aesthetics of 80s and 90s pop over contemporary sounds and themes. The musician's theatrical visuals are paramount of the PureGrand experience and what's more impressive is he produces them all himself, including the video for his most recent single 'Such A Fright'. There really is nobody else doing it like PureGrand on the Irish music scene at the moment.
"As a queer artist I hope ['MONTERO'] proves to labels that LGBTQ+ acts can be just as popular with audiences of any identity, I think they often think our appeal is limited to other queers alone," Luke told us."
"I don't think the song by itself is necessarily ground-breaking though, Old Town Road was so original, but I feel this one, with its TikTok-friendly length and Spotify playlist-ready beats is a bit too generic."
As the last two weeks have proven, the song and Lil Nas X himself are divisive. However, whether you're on board or not, the rapper remains unbothered and fixated on his end goal.
"[People] will say I'm pushing an agenda," he recently tweeted. "But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the f--- out of other people's lives and stop dictating who they should be." Well, in that case, sign us up?
Featured Image Credit: Admedia/Zuma Press/PA ImagesTopics: lil nas x, Ireland, Music