Lil Nas X's 'Sun Goes down' Is a Nod to His High School Years and Old Boyfriend
Rapper and singer-songwriter Lil Nas X's music has meanings about life and peace for the soul.
And if you dig deeper, his songs, either the chart-topping 'Old Town Road' or the flamboyant 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name),' speak about his personality and life's truth.
For instance, the 2021 single 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)' is a queer-themed delight, which came from being openly gay.
His most recent release, 'Sun Goes Down,' isn't any different as the single is a walk down memory lane to his high school years and old boyfriend.
‘Sun Goes Down’ Depicts Teenage Lil Nas X
Speaking with Variety in August 2021, Nas revisited the time that helped him make 'Sun Goes Down' possible.
He acknowledged that the song depicted a high school teenage, tuxedoed Nas, who shed tears in the men’s room after being ignored at his senior prom.
But, with the song now, he showed himself being consoled and taken back to the high school gym by his future self and joyfully showing his moves on the dance floor.
"[The video] absolutely is me," he told the publication, before adding, "My hair wasn’t that blond [as it is in the video], but everything else is pretty accurate."
He said it was a little peek into his experience in high school, where he felt like an outsider and didn’t fit in with any cliques. "Or trying to fit into the wrong ones to feel accepted: the tough guys, the clowns — although I definitely was a class clown myself," Nas continued.
The singer, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, also revealed that the popular people during his high school years usually had nicer shoes and were straight men.
His First Real Boyfriend
In the interview, he also briefly opened up about his first real boyfriend, a topic that was not addressed in the music video. However, he said the video's premise was around the same time he was with his first boyfriend. "I was 18, I believe," he stated.
Before being with his first boyfriend, Nas recalled hanging out with a guy, not particularly a boyfriend, whom he had met in middle school. Soon, after talking for a while, they both found out they were gay but didn't act on it.
Nas further went on to talk about his experiences with other boyfriends, stating he had dated some good and bad ones. He described some by saying they were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurities.
Who is Nas Dating Now?
The rapper currently has a boyfriend, which he admitted during his conversation with Variety.
I’ve found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can’t explain it — it’s just a feeling.
That being said, he didn't name drop his current lover, but there have been rumors he is dating his backup dancer Yai Ariza since the two have shown off their PDA in numerous TV appearances.
Nas publicly came out of the closet on June 30, 2019 — the last day of Pride Month — after coming out as gay to his sister and father earlier in the same month.