Lil Nas X is once again stirring up controversy by using religious references in his art. The latest incident involves the rapper’s forthcoming single, “J Christ.” Teasing his song on X, formerly known as Twitter, he revealed the cover art, which shows him nailed to the cross like Jesus Christ.

“My new single is dedicated to the man who had the greatest comeback of all time!” he tweeted, adding that the song will be released on Jan. 12.

Lil Nas X seemed to be dropping the first hint about the upcoming song on Nov. 29, 2023, when he tweeted, “Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?”

The post featured a clip of Nas dancing on an empty street while wearing a shirt that read, “If God doesn’t exist then who’s laughing at u.” The lyrics heard in the clip appear to be from “J Christ,” but this has not been confirmed.

Some of the lyrics heard in the clip include “I call on angels / I’m trying hard to face my pain, yeah / Give me hope when I feel / Give me hope when I feel less.”

The 24-year-old faced backlash a few years ago when he dropped the visuals for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” In the viral video, Lil Nas X depicts himself going from the Garden of Eden to the depths of hell, where he performs a lap dance on satan.

“I wrote a song with our name in it. It’s about a guy I met last summer,” he wrote at the time in a message to his 14-year-old self that he posted to X. “I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist.”

He continued, “You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I’m pushing an agenda. but the truth is, I am. the agenda to make people stay the f**k out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. sending you love from the future. -lnx.”

 

Nas recently launched a website titled SaveNasX.com. According to a statement on the homepage, the website is dedicated to to “finding him and saving him by turning his heart toward Christ’s light.” The website also includes a running clock that keeps track of how long it has been since he released his debut studio album, Montero.

Nas is now responding to the controversy surrounding his latest work. The Grammy winner is choosing to specifically amplify the voice of his supporters. Many fans are taking to social media, saying how critics simply don’t understand the messages behind his songs.

Other supporters believe Lil Nas X is being singled out because he is gay.

Lil Nas X also posted a link to a site titled BeginningisNear.com, where fans can pre-save “J Christ” ahead of its release.

Lil Nas X