Lil Nas X on March 26th premiered his music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and here are some quick explanations of the symbolisms that appeared in the music video.
First of all, Lil Nas X´s real name is Montero. Therefore, the video is an explanation of his own path to self acceptance. At the beginning of the video the artist says that he won’t hide anymore while the viewers are being carried to the Garden of Eden. In this part, a serpent-human life figure appears. This is a representation of “Adam and Eve” biblical story, but in here the prohibited fruit is his love for the same sex.
Also, the Greek message on the tree the rapper was leaning against translates to “Because nature was cut in pieces, each one attracts its other half”.” It is a quote taken from Plato’s Symposium, a philosophical text where a banquet of notable men deliver praise to Eros, the God of Love and Desire.
Then, it is shown how Lil Nas X is taken to a colosseum to be judged by multiple versions of himself. After that, he is levitating to heaven where he is rejected and sent to hell. When arriving the gates opened up and showed an evil figure in a throne, and on the floor the message “They condemn what they do not understand” in Latin appeared.a
What´s important to notice is that when Lil Nas X accepts himself as the minority he is, a Black gay man, he knows he is dancing with the Devil due to the rejection and dangers he can suffer. At the end of the video he just embraces who he is and kills the evil figure, making reference that he is going to own every single part of himself and be powerful no matter what people say.
Also, when the video went public he tweeted a letter to his 14 year old self saying that he knows he promised to never come out publicly, but he is a figure that can help queer people to simply exist.
Credit
Original Post | Karen Perez karen@reelscorp.com
Video Edit | Zero Mo zero@reelscorp.com