Lil Nas X Says He Wasn’t Trying To Mock Christians In Rollout For New Single ‘J Christ’

Topline Rapper Lil Nas X took to social media on Monday to explain the creative decisions behind his new single, “J Christ,” and the marketing campaign behind it, saying he wasn’t trying to mock Christians in the artwork and promotional material for the song, which received pushback for its use of religious imagery.

Lil Nas X released "J Christ" on Jan. 12. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for MTV) Key Facts Lil Nas X, who is portrayed as Jesus Christ on the cross in the artwork for the single, said he knew the imagery would upset some people but emphasized he wasn’t trying to mock Christians, adding that the idea behind the artwork was to signal his return to music after more than two years had passed since his last album.

The rapper apologized for a promotional video for the single in which he ate and drank communion wine and wafers in excess, saying he thought the promo would “lighten the mood.” He said the video statement was to “clear [his] own head about [his] own decisions” as opposed to trying to “get everybody on [his] good side” and admitted he “messed up really bad this time.” “I’m not some like evil demon guy trying to destroy everybody’s values,” the rapper said, later referencing the “J Christ” music video where he faces off against the devil in a one on one basketball game.

Lil Nas X also mentioned his music video for “Montero,” a controversial video the rapper also received backlash over in 2021 for its religious themes and a sequence where he dances on Satan, saying that his history with the video makes it so that anything he produces related to religion “can be seen as mockery.” The “J Christ” single has more than 4 million plays on Spotify and is the rapper’s first solo single since 2021.

Contra Lil Nas X has been accused of manufacturing controversy with the aim of getting more attention. Conservative commentator Candace Owens has accused the rapper of trying to gain backlash from the Christian community for attention. Owens has said she’s “past the point of caring” about Lil Nas X’s marketing tactics, one of multiple critiques levied by different internet personalities in the last two weeks.

Key Background Lil Nas X said in his announcement for his new single that the song was dedicated to “the man who had the greatest comeback of all time!” The outrage surrounding the “J Christ” music video, its religious artwork and promos is similar to the anger directed at Lil Nas X for his “Montero” music video, which also contained religious themes and iconography.

Backlash around the song and its music video worsened when Lil Nas X launched a pair of shoes in collaboration with fashion brand MSCHF that featured a pentagram, an inverted cross and a drop of human blood in the shoes’ air bubble sole. Only 666 units of the shoe were released and sold out almost immediately, according to CNN , which reported the shoes were listed at $1,018 a pair.

Further Reading Lil Nas X’s ‘Christian Era’: Rapper Embarks On Bizarre Marketing Campaign For New Single—Drawing Renewed Blasphemy Accusations (Forbes) Lil Nas X’s unofficial ‘Satan’ Nikes containing human blood sell out in under a minute (CNN).