Lil Nas X is well known for his 2019 hit “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus, which brought both Lil Nas X a good amount of popularity. Over the past two years, Lil Nas X’s popularity has skyrocketed, and on September 17th, 2021, the artist released his first full album, titled MONTERO. Today, I will be reviewing his new album after listening to it on repeat for 3 weeks straight.
Disclaimer: I am not a verified music reviewer, and these are my personal opinions of the songs in the album.
MONTERO (Call me by your name)
Now, this song by Lil Nas X is quite a classic. I remember when he was posting on TikTok a few months ago to tease a certain part of this song, and I was practically dying for it to be released ASAP. Everything from the instrumental to the lyrics are so impressive. Although some would consider the music video of this song controversial, I thought it was quite well-made and I enjoyed the aesthetics of it. I would rate this song a 9/10.
DEAD RIGHT NOW
This song on MONTERO is one of my favorites. In fact, I like it so much that it is currently my top #2 track on Spotify this month. Although it is not as upbeat as other songs on the album, such as “MONTERO” or “INDUSTRY BABY”, the slow beat and rhythm are what makes this song unique. The deep vocals and rapping in “DEAD RIGHT NOW” really help bring out the slow beat. I would rate this song a 9.5/10.
INDUSTRY BABY (feat. jack harlow)
This song never fails to hype me up, and it always lifts my mood. I really enjoy the sound of the band instruments with the beat of the song; although the beat is quite simple in comparison, it goes really well with the band instrumentals. Jack Harlow’s feature on this song makes it even better, and even though I have never listened to any of Harlow’s music, his feature on “INDUSTRY BABY” makes me want to explore his music more. I would rate this song an 8.5/10.
THAT’S WHAT I WANT
Okay, to be honest, at first I didn’t really know how I felt about this one. I’m not sure why, but the guitar really had to warm up to me before I started fully enjoying this song. The chorus is probably my favorite part, especially because it sounds as though Lil Nas X is putting his entire heart into singing it. Although it did take me a while to warm up to this song, now I would rate it a 7/10.
scoop (feat. doja cat)
In my opinion, this is one of the catchiest songs in the entire album. The beat is great, and it flows well with the rhythm as well. I also enjoy hearing Lil Nas X sing the lyric “understand I’m just trying to be the daily” with such a powerful tone in his voice. However, I might be a bit biased toward this song because Doja Cat is featured on it. As an avid Doja Cat fan, I have to say I was ecstatic when I found out that she had a feature on Lil Nas X’s album. Although she had a short verse, she still added a lot to his song. I would rate this song a 9.5/10.
One of me (feat. elton john)
I don’t listen to this one quite often, but I do have to admit that this is a pretty good song. The instrumentals are very catchy, and I love the lyrics. The piano part sounds great, but I may just be a bit biased towards that part since I myself used to play the piano. I would rate this song a 7.5/10.
LOST IN THE CITADEL
This song may be another one of my favorites from the album. The guitar and (what I assume are) drums sound great, and again, I love the lyrics. I would rate this song an 8/10.
DOLLA SIGN SLIME (FEAT. MEGAN THEE STALLION)
Again, I really enjoy some of the band instruments that appear in the background of this song. In fact, I would say that this is tied with “SCOOP (feat. Doja Cat)” for catchiest song on the album. Megan Thee Stallion’s few verses really sold “DOLLA SIGN SLIME” for me, since I enjoy her solo music tremendously. I would rate this song a 9/10.
TALES OF DOMINICA
This is another one of my favorite songs from MONTERO–– as you can see, I have a lot of favorites from this album! The instrumentals, especially the guitar in the beginning, are some of my favorite parts. Something I appreciate greatly is the involvement of the violin in the final 20-ish seconds of the song. I also feel as though the echo of Lil Nas X’s vocals was a great addition; likewise, I also love how Lil Nas X harmonizes with himself in the chorus. I would rate this song a 8.5/10.
sun goes down
This is another song that I don’t listen too much off the album. I must admit that it is quite catchy, and I do like how it sounds overall. It is also quite an emotional song when you truly listen to the lyrics and understand them. I would rate this song a 6/10.
VOID
This song sounds quite magical in my opinion. I like how Lil Nas X really puts his entire heart and soul into singing some of the lyrics. The crescendo of the drums of the song is one of my favorite parts. This is also another emotional song off the album, following “SUN GOES DOWN”. I would rate this song a 9/10.
DON’T WANT IT
This is another one of my personal favorite tracks from MONTERO; it is currently my top #4 track this month on Spotify! I particularly love the beginning of the song. I also love the sound clips Lil Nas X added of reporters saying, “the award goes… to Lil Nas X!” and “the number one song on the billboard hot one hundred, Call Me By Your Name, by Lil Nas X!” I just think this was a quite unique addition, and it took me by surprise when I was listening to it for the first time. The chorus and the song itself are very catchy. I would rate this one a 9.5/10.
LIFE AFTER SALEM
This is another one of my personal favorite tracks from MONTERO. It is currently my top #9 track this month on Spotify. One thing I enjoy about “LIFE AFTER SALEM” is how harsh and tense it sounds at some moments. Lil Nas X’s voice really adds to that feeling throughout the song. It is quite slow, but it sounds like a song I would scream when I’m feeling really upset. One of my favorite parts is when Lil Nas X’s sings “what you want from me?” in such a powerful, almost pained tone; the guitar that follows afterward is also another great addition. The last 10 seconds of this song is also another great part. I would rate this song a 9.5/10.
AM I DREAMING (FEAT. MILEY CYRUS)
This is the last song off the album, and I don’t tend to listen to it often. However, even though I don’t listen to it a lot, I do think the guitar at the beginning is very pleasing to the ear. This also appears to be another emotional song off the album, along with “SUN GOES DOWN” and “VOID.” I am not particularly fond of this song, so I would rate it a 5/10.
Overall, the MONTERO album by Lil Nas X was a pretty good album, and I am excited to see what music he has in store for his fans next.