Lil Nas X Feels "Pressure" To Be A Role Model In LGBTQ Community

Lil Nas X’s stardom came quickly when his hit “Old Town Road” succeeded at number one on the Billboard charts for nine weeks and the 20-year-old went from sleeping at his sister’s house to becoming an instant millionaire known worldwide. While Lil Nas looked to have it all, he still fell short of some confidence when it came to performing for his fans and being an inspiration to fellow members of the LGBTQ community since he came out on Twitter on the last day of Pride month. 

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Now that the Grammys are a few days away and Lil Nas has pulled in six nominations, he’s opened up to Variety about his life as of late and what he hopes to be. “I hope my actions are enough to inspire other young LGBTQ children coming up to not be afraid to be themselves, but I feel pressure to be a role model for the community,” he said of coming out. Before he told the world about his sexuality he didn’t let anyone know, except his father. “We have become closer,” he said of their relationship. “I mean, especially now because I don’t have anything to hide. It was a shock for him. It’s still the beginning phase. I’m not comfortable bringing a guy around yet.”

Looking at the year ahead, Lil Nas wants to own his stage presence instead of just doing karaoke for fans. “I hope to have an album done by the middle of this year, mostly because I want to go on tour,” he added. “This generation supports the artists themselves more than the music, and I want to meet my fans. I want to put together an actual show and not just do karaoke on stage.”