Lil Nas X says his long-awaited debut album is “79% done”

18th May 2020

Lil Nas X has given fans an update on his debut album.

Over the weekend, the rapper – who had one of the biggest viral hits of all time with Old Town Road last year – wrote in his Instagram bio that the record, which he previously said was “finna slap so hard,” is “79% done”.

When a fan asked over Twitter when we can expect the album to drop, he responded: “yes.” Wow, can’t wait!

In 2019, Lil Nas X made countless headlines when he came out as gay. Despite this, his music so far hasn’t explicitly addressed his sexuality – but that’s something he’s going to change on his upcoming album.

“I 100% want to represent the LGBT community,” he said in a recent interview with The Guardian, confirming his new album will explore his queer identity and adding that he wants his social advocacy to be “through my art”.

The star also acknowledged that while he may be an icon for young LGBTQ people, he doesn’t feel comfortable encouraging everyone to come out if they’re not 100% ready as it can be “super hard” for teens who don’t have accepting family.

“It’s easier for me. I’m not depending on anybody. There’s no one who’s going to kick me out of the house – nobody to start treating me shitty,” he explained, adding that this might not be the case for “another 20-year-old who doesn’t quite have it figured out and still lives with his parents”.

He also said that his family knows that he’s gay, but it’s “not something that’s ever brought up or we speak about”.

Earlier this year, Lil Nas X took home Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2020 Grammys for Old Town Road, which became the longest-running number one in history on the Billboard Hot 100.

It spent 19 consecutive weeks in the pole position, three weeks longer than the two previous record holders; One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (1995–96); and Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (2016).

During its reign, Lil Nas X came out as gay, becoming the first artist to do so while having a number one song.

He later became the second openly gay man, after Elton John, to earn a diamond-certification for a single. According to Billboard, Old Town Road has reached sales (and streaming equivalent sales) of 10 million units.