Variety features Lil Nas X on its latest cover… and he has this to say about revolutionizing hip-hop and being a Black queer icon:
Honestly, I believe the pandemic helped me get out of the idea of trying to please everybody, and the idea of, “He’s a cool gay person; he’s an acceptable gay person.” I used to see things like that as a compliment, but it’s not. It just means you’re a people-pleaser, and they never become legends. I wanted to be even more authentic in my music and let people into my life. I’m much more confident now — in my music, myself, my sexuality, the things that I believe that I stand for.
He also officially confirmed that he is dating and it’s serious.
“I’ve found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can’t explain it — it’s just a feeling.”
He doesn’t reveal who his boyfriend is, or give any details about him, but there is speculation that it’s Yai Ariza, the dancer with whom he shared an on-stage kiss at the BET Awards.
Whoever it is, we’re just thrilled that he’s happy.
And that wasn’t always the case.
“I didn’t really have a sexual life besides one person or two,” he said of his experiences pre-fame. “It’s definitely made things a lot more interesting, to say the least.”
“I’ve had some good boyfriends and some bad ones. A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and whatnot.”
