Lil Nas X hits the prison showers in jaw-dropping ‘Industry Baby’ video
The music video sees Lil Nas X break out of prison and takes aim at his critics.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: YouTube
Lil Nas X has released the music video for his new song ‘Industry Baby’, and we didn’t think prison would be anything like this!
The video sees the 22-year-old ‘Montero (Call Me by Your Name)’ singer breaking out of jail with his musical collaborator and in-video jail mate Jack Harlow, twerking in the yard and joyriding in a police car with sirens blazing.
Earlier this week, Lil Nas X teased the video with a courtroom scene where he plays himself on trial, as well as other characters, and is sentenced to five years in Montero State Prison for being gay.
“I got what they waitin’ for”
The music video picks up ‘3 months later’ after the teaser trailer. By now Lil Nas X is looking settled in his new cell, which comes complete with two Grammys, a Platinum record of ‘Montero (Call Me by Your Name)’, and a poster of his on-stage kiss at the BET awards last month.
Also, the best prison uniform ever! Lil Nas X makes it rain while a fellow inmate twerks for him. We then get one of the best shower scenes for quite some time, with Nas and eight others dancing naked in the shower. It’s wet, steamy and we’re a little jealous!
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Elsewhere Lil Nas X is given a copy of the ‘Book of Montero’ (we’re not sure it’s available in Waterstones!) by Jack Harlow (of ‘What’s Poppin’ fame), which has a small pickaxe hidden inside. We then see that Nas escape his cell, knock out a security guard (played by Teen Wolf actor Colton Haynes) who’s enjoying the video for ‘Montero’, and pushing the big red button that releases the other prisoners.
Together Lil Nas X and Harlow joyride in a police car before we see Nas and the squad of inmates break it down in the prison yard and escaping on a bus while the prison burns in the background.
The song takes aim at Lil Nas X’s critics, singing, “Funny how you said it was the end. Then I went, did it again,” as well as “I told you long ago on the road. I got what they waitin’ for.” In other places Lil Nas X calls out homophobes with, “I don’t f*** bitches, I’m queer”.
“I need you to keep going”
On Thursday (22 July) Lil Nas X tweeted a screenshot of an iPhone note, showing that the song had been written for his younger self. In the note, Nas says, “I know going from having the biggest song in the world to being trapped in your apartment is weighing heavy on you. And I know if you hear the phrase ‘one hit wonder’ one more time you might combust. But I need you to keep going.”
“INDUSTRY BABY” 🏆
TOMORROW NIGHT! pic.twitter.com/WhGh3Sk72C— nope 👶🏾 (@LilNasX) July 22, 2021
Commenting on Instagram posts promoting the video’s release, Joey Jay from RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 said: “I AM READYY”, while on another post someone commented: “this is the kind of jail I wanna be in”
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Watch the full video below.
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