Lil Nas X drops ‘J Christ’ single and music video
"Is he bout to give em something vir-i-ral / Is he bout hit em with the hi-igh note,"
Lil Nas X’s latest musical offering, ‘J Christ,’ is finally here. And he’s letting everyone that he’s still very much in his prime.
The track and accompanying music video was released on Friday (12 January). It sees the singer appear as a biblical figure, far removed from past visuals.
The video starts with lookalikes of Oprah, Barack Obama, Kanye West, and more ascending to heaven from a Windows desktop background-like setting. To greet them at the pearly gates is Lil Nas X himself.
Sliding down a familiar pole to hell we see Lil Nas X standing over a bubbling cauldron of body parts. “Let em slide, yeah, last year was a quiet year / Now I’m, on mariah,” he sings.
Back up in heaven Lil Nas X takes on Satan in a holy game of basketball. Ever referential, Lil Nas X’s Satan can be seen wearing the controversial 666 trainers.
As the song reaches the chorus Lil Nas X appears in a cheerleader outfit surrounded by dancers. “Is he up to something only I-I know / Is he bout hit em with the hi-igh note / Is he bout to give em something vir-i-ral / Is he bout hit em with the hi-igh note,” he sings here.
“Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world” – Lil Nas X
After shearing sheep we see the rapper walks a white carpet in a setting very resemblant to the Met Gala. A brief cameo from TS Madison follows before Lil Nas X appears as Noah filling the Ark before a flood where he sings: “I’m in my prime (bitch I’m back like J Christ)”
To close, the video ends with a Bible passage that reads: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. The old has passed away; Behold, the new has come.” That is taken from 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The music video was written and directed by Lil Nas X.
Ahead of its release, the rapper-singer teased the release as “the greatest comeback of all time.” After revealing the artwork for ‘J Christ’ earlier this week the singer clapped back at critics.
He argued his use of religious imagery was no different from other uses of iconography throughout time. “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world,” he then reasoned.
‘J Christ’ is streaming now.