Rapper Lil Nas X told fans last week he’s entering his “Christian era,” and the internet made it clear we’re still unsure what it means to be queer and Christian.

Despite the rapper’s soulful lyrics like “I’m trying hard to face my pain. Give me hope when I feel less,” some fans and celebrities aren’t buying it. Fellow creators and fans have questioned the validity of his intentions behind the song and accused the rapper of being too flippant about Christianity.

Some fans are celebrating the rapper’s “glow-up” as some fans have called his implied pivot to more spiritual themes in his music.

Could Lil Nas X’s foray into Christian hip hop mark a significant shift in the landscape of mainstream music? A rapper producing songs with Christian themes and even Christian hip hop as a genre has existed for far longer than Lil Nas X. The industry boasts Grammy award-winning and nominated artists like Kirk Franklin, Lecrae and Andy Mineo.

While the genre has existed for decades, it has often been relegated to niche audiences and struggled to gain widespread recognition. However, Lil Nas X’s immense popularity and willingness to explore controversial themes could bring Christian hip hop to the forefront, sparking conversations about faith, sexuality, and the role of religion in contemporary culture.

Lil Nas X’s embrace of Christian hip hop signals a broader trend of artists using their platforms to address spiritual and social issues, and queer Christian fans are celebrating his embrace of his faith and sexuality.

Christian hip hop artists like Lecrae and Mineo have been popular among both religious and secular music fans alike as the appeal of Christian rap has grown since rappers started including Jesus in their lyrics in the late 1980s. (Actor Mr. T even made his own Christian rap album in the 1980s).

Commenters on X compared Lil Nas X to Kanye West, whose “Christian era” included sold-out Sunday Service shows complete with expensive Christian-themed merch and appearances at evangelical youth group conferences in East Tennessee.

“kanye west (god bless his soul) needed a proper competitor. go for it,” one Twitter user said.

What are other celebrities saying and why does it matter?

Religious themes among major pop artists lyrics are nothing new with both pro-religion and anti-religion themes present in most popular music of the last few decades. While Lil Nas X has been known for trolling homophobic and often religious fans, he now seems to be going the way of rappers before him like Kanye West, who have expressed their faith in their lyrics despite previous controversy.

Actor and singer Tyrese Gibson addressed Lil Nas X’s new song preview in a comment on The Shade Room’s Instagram post about the clip on Nov. 30.

“God is not to be played with. From shoes with devil signs and devils blood in the [shoe] sole? We can all change. I get it, but I feel a way about people making a mockery about Jesus……. Do you, [live] your life. Do what makes you happy but yall better stop playing with Jesus out here,” Gibson said in the comment, which has received nearly 58k likes as of 2 p.m. Monday.

Lil Nax X’s 2021 release of his song “Montero” and accompanying music view and shoe collaboration stirred up multiple controversies surrounding the artist and his devil-themed creations. The “Montero” music video featured Lil Nas X descending into hell and seductively dancing on what appeared to be the devil then snapping his head.

The shoes, a custom designed Nike shoe, were advertised to contain real human blood and the inscription “Luke 10:18,” which says “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Nike said they weren’t involved in the controversial shoe design and later sued the rapper over the shoe. The shoe, a limited run of 666 pairs, sold out in less than a minute.

Lil Nas X responded to Tyrese’s Instagram comment, implying the criticism was unwarranted.

“this really crazy cuz all i did was post a song about asking god for hope when you feel hopeless and yall acting like I posted a video of me burning a church down and peeing on a nativity scene,” Lil Nas X tweeted Nov. 30.

Fans commented on the long denim skirt Lil Nas X wore in the video, calling it an “apostolic skirt,” referencing the long, often denim skirts worn by some women who adhere to strict modesty standards as part of their practice of highly conservative forms of Christianity. There’s even a modest Christian clothing company called “Apostolic Clothing,” which specialized in modest dresses and skirts for women.

After Lil Nas X posted the video Nov. 29, he followed it up with a post clarifying his stance on religion and sexuality, saying “making christian music does not mean i can’t suck d*ck no more. the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.” He also posted a TikTok about rejoining Christianity “after my 2021 antics.”

Other rappers chimed in too, including Holy Gabbana who responded to the video with an Instagram post Sunday and ensuing discourse online about Lil Nas X’s sexuality and religious practices, saying he could not call himself a Christian and be gay.

“If Nas X wanna be gay cool, do u lil bra just don’t title yaself a Christian and make others believe it’s okay for us to live in habitual/intentional sin. Ppl deserve TRUTH and I stand on da word of God,” he said in a post on his Instagram story.

The “Industry Baby” rapper has routinely trolled homophobic fans and used other religious imagery in his music, most notably the “Montero” music video featuring him giving the devil a lap dance.

What’s next?

The mainstream success of Lil Nas X and other Christian hip hop artists has the potential to revitalize the genre and introduce it to a wider audience. It could also lead to a greater acceptance of religious expression in mainstream music, fostering a more inclusive and diverse musical landscape, as the popularity of Christian music has shown.

Some have criticized the Christian music industry, claiming the widespread popularity and money-making opportunities from Christian music could affect how the church is perceived, according to an article in Christianity Today.

Some argue that rap is the perfect space to explore issues of faith, particularly Christianity, drawing parallels between Jesus and rap culture, portraying Jesus as a rebellious figure challenging societal norms, akin to a gangster rapper.

As major music magazine Spin put it in this August 23 article, there are more reasons to call Jesus a rapper than there are to call him not a rapper.

Lil Nas X’s posts responding to the controversy show he’s unafraid to embrace two things that many still see as opposites: queerness and religion.

While Lil Nas X’s “Christian era” has been met with mixed reactions, it undoubtedly represents a bold move in the music industry. Lil Nas X has already made multiple splashes with religious themes in his music, but it’s clear he won’t be the last rapper talking about their faith.