What went wrong with lil nas X's new song.
First of all, I like the song. I really do. But I’m worried about this new era, if you know what I mean.
Last time Lil Nas X released a lead single, it was huge. Now, he hasn’t confirmed if *Light Again* is the lead single from his new album—maybe it’s just a promotional track—but it did have a full music video. Plus, there were teasers for his upcoming album right before the release. So, it might actually be the lead single.
That said, it definitely doesn’t have the same impact as *Montero (Call Me By Your Name)* did. That sucks. People are already clowning him on social media. I saw a Twitter post from someone I follow, mocking the song’s view count after two or three hours. You’d think that when Lil Nas X drops a track, it would instantly grab attention—especially since he’s such a big internet personality.
But yeah, the song only had around 38,000 views early on. That’s... not great. It can still grow, though! Maybe this is just a setup to start a conversation about the album. Perhaps Lil Nas X and his label are saving the full promotional push for a later track.
Honestly, it kind of makes sense. We’re at the end of the year, and soon we’ll be bombarded with Christmas music. Mariah Carey, Wham!, Brenda Lee, and all the holiday hits are about to take over the charts. So, heavily promoting a new song right now wouldn’t make much sense—his efforts would get overshadowed.
Still, I don’t want to see him lose momentum. But I get why people aren’t connecting with this track—or with him in general. Over the past few years, Lil Nas X has leaned heavily into religious-themed controversies in his music.
I think he might have pushed that angle a little too far. Not to say it was “religious persecution” exactly—that’s not the right term—but he was very direct in going after religious themes and institutions. And this is coming from an atheist! Even I found it a bit much.
One or two songs like that are fine, but if it becomes your whole brand, it risks alienating people. Music is supposed to connect with listeners, and if it constantly reminds them of past controversies, it can be off-putting.
The *J Christ* song didn’t help his case. It gave people the impression that he’s a gimmick artist, constantly trying to stir up controversy for attention. Sometimes that works, but it can also backfire.
Look at Lady Gaga. She used controversy early in her career to grab attention, but her artistry—her incredible music, vocal talent, and performances—kept people coming back. Gaga didn’t rely solely on shock value; she delivered phenomenal work like *The Fame Monster*, *Born This Way*, and *Artpop*.
Lil Nas X hasn’t quite reached that level. He’s a great entertainer, no doubt, but he doesn’t have the same depth as Gaga. And that’s okay! Not everyone has to be a Lady Gaga. But if Lil Nas X wants longevity, he needs to focus more on entertaining the masses and less on divisive antics.
He doesn’t have the luxury to alienate audiences when his foundation as an artist is still being built. He’s at a pivotal moment in his career.
Look at someone like Katy Perry—her music didn’t target a niche audience. She made fun, universally appealing pop hits that people could enjoy without being superfans. That’s how Katy became so successful, earning hundreds of millions through her music and performances.
Lil Nas X can achieve something similar if he focuses on creating music that resonates widely. He doesn’t need to provoke just for the sake of it. It’s not sustainable, and it clearly isn’t working right now.
It’s disappointing to see *Light Again* underperform. I’m hopeful, though, that the next single or the full album will blow us away. Maybe this era will still surprise us.
For now, I’d rate *Light Again* a solid 7 out of 10.
