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From the Vault...
09/04/2022
#1846 |
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info
Lil Nas X
"Montero"
© Columbia Records
Rating:
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track listing
Montero (Call Me
By Yuor Name)
Dead Right Now
Industry Baby
That's What I Want
The Art Of Realization
Scoop
One Of Me
Lost In The Citadel
Dolla Sign Slime
Tales Of Dominica
Sun Goes Down
Void
Don't Want It
Life After Salem
Am I Dreaming
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Lil Nas X
"Montero"
This week, Lil Nas X makes his debut with his second released album, Montero. Of course, his claim to fame was the song "Old Town Road." The remix
would reach #1, and former Country artist Billy Ray Cyrus would return to the music spotlight as he did when he became famous with his first album in 1992, Some
Gave All. From that album, "Achy Breaky Heart" would become his most popular song, and would become not only the song that evveryone would remember him
by, but it also became a song that many admired, and others, well, just hated it. (It was well overhyped, overplayed, overpopular.) He would release a total of
15 albums from 1993 to 2019, yet Some Gave All would be the most remembered, and now, his popularity appeared again with Lil Nas X on the "Old Town Road
Remix." Both the "Old Town Road" and the remix would appear on Lil Nas X's first recorded mini-album EP, entitled 7, released in 2019.
Montero was released two years later, in 2021. The Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus remix would create "Country Rap," which combined both the Country style
(or what is really currently called Country Pop), along with the rap style, which is what Lil Nas X's musical style is.
But most importantly, that remix would make Lil Nas X a overnight superstar over Billy Ray Cyrus. The remix song would reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for
a total of 19 weeks, breaking the all-time record of weeks at #1, which was 16 - "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (1995). The video of the
"Old Town Road Remix" was also huge in popularity. Montero was released in 2021, and from it, two songs would reach #1: "Montero (Call Me By Your
Name)" and "Industry Baby." Surprisingly, both the 7 EP and Montero did NOT reach #1 on Billboard' Top 200 Albums chart. And, since
the "Country Rap" of the "Old Town Road Remix" did get airplay on Country Radio, it did not reach #1 as a Country #1 hit.
The album Montero is not, I repeat a "Country Rap" album; Lil Nas X wanted to focus this album on Rap, Pop, and R&B. And, Lil Nax X's real name is
Montero Lamar Hill.
"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" leads the album, and with most Rap songs, they tend to be annoying as heck. But not the case with Lil Nas X and
Montero's opener. This continues "Dead Right Now," a song that does supply Lil Nas X's rapping. "Industry Baby" is the next rapping tune,
and as it does supply the common Rap tones, my vote goes to the "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" over this one. Yes, the rapping does get to ya, and for most
of us "old folks," Rap music definitely appeals to the much younger audiences. "That's What I Want" is catchy, and it would be another single from the
album. "The Art Of Realization" is a short spoken voice track, 26 seconds.
"Scoop" is a "take or leave" rap song, so my vote for "That's What I Want" is better than this one. Doja Cat helps out on this one, and the foul
language makes it a "take, but better to leave" track. Yes friends, Rap music does have a habit of having harsh language/lyrics. Now the next track should be
better - it has Elton John helping out - "One Of Me." It is a pretty good song, yet there are others that are better. In fact, this song does kinda grows
on you, as it goes through the 2 minutes close to 3 length. "Lost In The Citadel" is the next track, and it's pretty good also, from start to finish.
This on is more of a Pop track than Rap/R&B. "Dolla Sign Slime" is Rap. Pass. Megan Thee Stallion helps out.
"Tales Of Dominica" is next, and it's pretty good. Kinda catchy. It works. The same goes for the next track, which was released as the album's second
single, "Sun Goes Down." These are more Pop songs, rather than Rap/R&B. That works. "Void" is another good Pop track. This one definitely is a
track to listen to. "Down To It" has more of the Rap style, yet the previous 3 tracks are worth listening to, than this one. (Yet, the announcement of
Lil Nax X being #1 on Billboard in the song has a nice touch.)
"Life After Salem" has a moody Classical feel to it, with the piano. Moody sets the atmosphere on this one. This one is a hit-or-miss; more of a miss.
Closing the album is "Am I Dreaming" (with Miley Cyrus; Billy Ray's daughter). A nice track, musically, and more of another good Pop sounding track.
There are quite a few tracks on Montero where the sound of the music has the spotlight. However, there are lyrics of homosexual nature. Yes, Lil Nas X
did "come out" in 2019, and announcing he was gay. But that didn't seem to damper his career. Sure, some accept it, others don't. His quote: "Some of y'all
already know,some of y'all don't care, some of y'all gone [f*** with me] no more." Accceptance or not, the music on Montero has its moments. Musically, it's
very good on tracks such as "Tales of Dominica," "Sun Goes Down" and "Void." "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" does have homosexual references, yet
it didn't stop that track to reach the #1 spot.
What makes this album, is the fact that not all the tracks have the annoying Rap style. Making it known, that this album would focus on not only Rap, but Pop
and R&B. The Pop sounding tracks are the highlights. The Rap tracks can be easily passed. But as a whole, Montero is a decent album. And if you can
tolerate the rapping, appreciate the Pop sounding tracks, and how they blend well throughout the album.
I'm just curious as in the next decades, where satellite radio has stations focusing on decades of music. Sirius XM has stations for this, and they do have
stations for Pop, Rap and R&B. But as you listen to the older stations, that is of 1950s to the 1980s, the songs you hear on these stations, are where we say
"Oh, I remember that one, and that one, and that one, etc." But for us old folks, it is great to learn the newer decades of music, but in ten to twenty years from
now, will there be a station for the 2000 decades, such as the 2010 decade, where you hear the songs playing there, will you say again, "Oh, I remember that one,
and that one, and that one, etc." ?? I'm sure the younger crowd of today will remember, as the older decades that us old folks remember. The younger audiences
have appreciated the old decades such as the 1950s and onward, and surprisingly, some of the younger audience could agree that the older music is better than the
music that they grew up on. That maybe true, 99.99%. And what about "Country Rap" ? Today's Country is by far not as great as the true Country decades were.
No way can you compare Country greats as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, to today's Country Pop, as
Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line. (Stop... Stop!) Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus started the Country Rap, and later, Blanco Brown's "The Git Up" would
be a Country hit, as it hit #1 Country for 12 weeks. Country Rap, like Country Pop, is not for everyone, especially for those who grew up on the Classic Country,
as the Country Legends I mentioned earlier. It's not for everyone folks, as in Rap; some like it, others no.
But as the line that Billy Joel sang, "Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound - Funny, but it's still Rock and Roll to me." Country Pop. Country Rap. Rap.
Is it really Rock and Roll. Many would argue, "No, it's not." But tell that to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when they induct Rap and Country artists there.
And you wonder, if Lil Nas X keeps recording albums, and achieving more popularity, will his name be added in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
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