Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Lil Nas X

Discover the career path of Lil Nas X, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his breakthrough hit "Old Town Road" in 2018. The song achieved unprecedented success, becoming the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Lil Nas X also made a significant cultural impact by coming out as gay while having a number-one record, making him a trailblazer in the music industry.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

July 2018: Drake's Streaming Record

In July 2018, Drake's "In My Feelings" had 116.2 million streams in one week.

July 24, 2018: Release of 'Nasarati' Mixtape

On July 24, 2018, Lil Nas X released his first mixtape 'Nasarati' on SoundCloud.

October 2018: Discovery of 'Old Town Road' Beat

In late October 2018, Lil Nas X discovered the beat that would become his hit song "Old Town Road".

Loading Video...

December 3, 2018: Release of "Old Town Road"

On December 3, 2018, Lil Nas X released the country rap song "Old Town Road". He bought the beat on BeatStars from YoungKio and recorded it in an Atlanta studio.

Loading Video...

2018: Rise to Prominence with "Old Town Road"

In 2018, Lil Nas X rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road".

Loading Video...

March 2019: Signing with Columbia Records and Controversy Over Billboard Chart Removal

In March 2019, Lil Nas X signed with Columbia Records after an intense bidding war. Also in March 2019, Billboard controversially removed "Old Town Road" from the Hot Country Songs chart.

April 2019: "Old Town Road" Remix and Streaming Records

In April 2019, Billy Ray Cyrus was featured on a remix of "Old Town Road". That same month, Lil Nas X broke Drake's record for the most U.S. streams from one song in one week with 143 million streams, surpassing Drake's "In My Feelings".

May 2019: Release of "Old Town Road" Video

In May 2019, the video for "Old Town Road" was released.

Loading Video...

June 20, 2019: Release of "Panini"

On June 20, 2019, "Panini" was released as Lil Nas X's second single through Columbia Records.

June 21, 2019: Release of '7' EP

On June 21, 2019, Lil Nas X released his second extended play, titled 7. The EP debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart.

June 23, 2019: Performance at the 2019 BET Awards

On June 23, 2019, Lil Nas X performed with Billy Ray Cyrus at the 2019 BET Awards.

June 30, 2019: Public coming out as gay

On June 30, 2019, Lil Nas X publicly came out as gay, confirming earlier suggestions, particularly in his track "c7osure".

July 2019: "Old Town Road" on TikTok

As of July 2019, videos associated with the #yeehaw challenge meme on TikTok using "Old Town Road" had been viewed more than 67 million times.

Loading Video...

July 2019: "Old Town Road" Dominates Billboard Charts

In early July 2019, "Old Town Road" reached its 13th week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first hip hop song to achieve this milestone. It also became the first song to sell 10 million copies while holding the top spot. During its 15th week at number one in July 2019, Lil Nas X became the first openly gay artist to have a song last that long.

Loading Video...

August 2019: "Old Town Road" Streams

As of August 2019, "Old Town Road" has streamed over a billion plays on Spotify alone. The music video has over 370 million views.

Loading Video...

August 2019: "Old Town Road" Charts for 19 Weeks

As of August 2019, "Old Town Road" had charted for 19 weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, breaking a three-way tie record. The song also topped the Hot Rap Songs chart for 19 weeks, surpassing another three-way tie, marking a significant achievement in August 2019.

Loading Video...

August 19, 2019: Opening for Katy Perry at Amazon Concert

On August 19, 2019, Lil Nas X opened for Katy Perry at a concert Amazon held for its employees to celebrate its Prime Day sale.

September 2019: "Panini" Remix

In September 2019, "Panini" had its first remix released with rapper DaBaby.

September 2019: Surprise High School Concert

In September 2019, Lil Nas X revisited his high school to perform a surprise concert.

November 2019: "Old Town Road" Achieves Diamond Certification

By November 2019, "Old Town Road" had been Diamond Certified, having moved a combined sales and streaming total of 10 million units, marking a major milestone.

Loading Video...

2019: Named One of Time's Most Influential People

In 2019, Time recognized Lil Nas X as one of the 25 most influential people on the Internet, citing his global impact on social media and ability to drive news.

2019: Signing with Columbia Records and releasing '7'

In 2019, following the success of "Old Town Road", Lil Nas X signed with Columbia Records and released his debut extended play (EP) 7, which spawned singles like "Panini" and "Rodeo".

July 7, 2020: Album Update and Mixtape Announcement

On July 7, 2020, Lil Nas X revealed that his debut album was "almost finished" and announced that he was working on a mixtape.

July 2020: Lil Nas X models for Fenty Beauty

In July 2020, Lil Nas X modeled in a trailer video for a new skincare line by Rihanna's Fenty Beauty.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer $weetmouth

Check it on Amazon

November 8, 2020: Announcement of New Single "Holiday"

On November 8, 2020, Lil Nas X announced a new single, "Holiday".

2020: Included in Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Lil Nas X was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020, recognizing his achievements and influence.

January 2021: Release of Children's Book

In January 2021, Lil Nas X released a children's book, 'C Is for Country'.

C Is for Country

Check it on Amazon

March 26, 2021: Release of 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)' and Album Announcement

On March 26, 2021, Lil Nas X released his song, "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)", along with an accompanying music video. He also revealed that his debut album would be named Montero and released in mid-2021.

March 29, 2021: Release of Satan Shoes and Nike Lawsuit

On March 29, 2021, Lil Nas X partnered with MSCHF to release modified Nike Air Max 97s called Satan Shoes, which led to a trademark lawsuit filed by Nike against MSCHF.

Nike Air Max 97 Men's Shoes Size- 8

Check it on Amazon

May 21, 2021: Release of "Sun Goes Down"

On May 21, 2021, Lil Nas X released "Sun Goes Down", a single where he reflects on his experiences with bullying and coming to terms with his homosexuality during his upbringing.

September 1, 2021: Receives Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award

On September 1, 2021, The Trevor Project announced that Lil Nas X would receive its inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year award, recognizing his contributions to mental health advocacy.

September 17, 2021: Release of Montero and "Thats What I Want"

On September 17, 2021, Lil Nas X released his album Montero along with its fourth single, "Thats What I Want".

October 23, 2021: "Industry Baby" reached number one

On the week ending October 23, 2021, "Industry Baby", featuring Jack Harlow, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Lil Nas X's third number one and fourth top-ten single.

2021: MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year

In 2021, Lil Nas X became the third artist to win an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year for a video he co-directed – "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)".

2021: Release of 'Montero'

In 2021, Lil Nas X released his debut studio album, Montero, which was supported by hit singles such as "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" and "Industry Baby".

2021: Featured on Time 100 List

In 2021, Lil Nas X was featured on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

March 2022: Fundraiser for AIDS/HIV Prevention

By March 2022, Lil Nas X's fundraiser for AIDS/HIV prevention charities in the Southern US had raised nearly half a million dollars.

March 16, 2022: Teasing of New Songs

On March 16, 2022, Lil Nas X teased two songs from his upcoming album: "Late to da Party" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and "Down Souf Hoes" featuring Saucy Santana, and also previewed "Lean on My Body".

April 26, 2022: Announcement of Long Live Montero Tour

On April 26, 2022, Lil Nas X announced his first concert tour, named the Long Live Montero Tour, in support of his album Montero.

June 24, 2022: Release of "Late to da Party"

On June 24, 2022, Lil Nas X released "Late to da Party" featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again as a single.

September 15, 2022: Collaboration Announcement with League of Legends

On September 15, 2022, Riot Games announced a collaboration with Lil Nas X for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship and declared him "President of League of Legends".

September 2022: Start of Long Live Montero Tour

In September 2022, Lil Nas X's Long Live Montero Tour commenced.

October 19, 2022: Saucy Santana joins tour

On October 19, 2022, Lil Nas X invited Saucy Santana on his tour to perform the intro of "Down Souf Hoes" with an additional verse.

January 2023: End of Long Live Montero Tour

In January 2023, Lil Nas X's Long Live Montero Tour concluded.

March 17, 2023: Lollapalooza Chile performance

On March 17, 2023, Lil Nas X performed an extended play of the intro of "Down Souf Hoes" during his Lollapalooza Chile performance.

2023: Premiere of "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero" at TIFF

In 2023, the documentary film "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero", premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The premiere was briefly delayed due to a bomb threat targeting Lil Nas X.

January 3, 2024: Announcement of "J Christ"

On January 3, 2024, Lil Nas X announced the single "J Christ".

January 26, 2024: Release of "Where Do We Go Now"

On January 26, 2024, Lil Nas X released the single "Where Do We Go Now" to accompany the streaming release of the documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero.

May 10, 2024: Featured on Camila Cabello's "He Knows"

On May 10, 2024, Lil Nas X was featured on Camila Cabello's single "He Knows".

November 11, 2024: Announcement of Dreamboy album cycle

On November 11, 2024, Lil Nas X announced the beginning of his new album cycle titled Dreamboy through a visual teaser on his social media accounts, also announcing the release of "Light Again" as a single.

November 15, 2024: Release of "Light Again" as official single

On November 15, 2024, Lil Nas X released "Light Again" as an official single.

2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris

In 2024, Lil Nas X endorsed Kamala Harris for the US presidential election.

March 14, 2025: Release of "Hotbox"

On March 14, 2025, Lil Nas X released "Hotbox".

March 2025: Release of Promotional Singles

In March 2025, Lil Nas X released four promotional singles everyday in the lead up to its release. Those singles were "Dreamboy", "Big Dummy", "Swish", "Right There!".