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.
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".
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.
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".
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
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 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!".
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