Over the course of a few years, Lil Nas X went from a college kid scared about his future to an internationally-acclaimed, record-breaking star. His fans know him as the funny, terminally online, occasionally controversial pop-meets-rap-meets-country artist next door. They even know a bit about Montero Lamar Hill, the man behind the moniker, thanks to more than a few revelatory lyrics on his debut album.
But with Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, the new documentary debuting on HBO this Saturday (Jan. 27), the “Industry Baby” singer is done trying to prove anything — he’s simply letting the audience see him in all lights possible.
The 95-minute feature follows Lil Nas X over the course of 60 days as he embarks on the North American leg his first-ever headlining tour in late 2022. Unlike Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour before it, the documentary gives fans only a peek into the star’s live show, occasionally showing off minute-long snippets of the titular concert before cutting away to backstage footage.
The rest of the movie, though, serves as a glimpse inside the mind of a blossoming artist looking to manage his impact on a career he crash-landed into. Hill opens up about everything from his upbringing, to his start in the industry, to the grueling process of putting together a tour . But most of all, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero watches Hill learn, in real time, what it means to be one of the most publicly visible members of the LGBTQ+ community, and how that public perception impacts his own search for meaning.
“Some people think my music is dope, but they think I do too much as far as videos and the things I do online go. And some people think the things I do online are cool, but they don’t like my music. Some people still see me as the kid-friendly artist, and some people see me as this Satanic devil that’s gonna ruin the world, or who’s part of some big agenda,” he says at one point in the documentary. “People feel a lot of things about me. But me? Boy, do I love this kid.”
Below, Billboard takes a look at five of the biggest revelations throughout Long Live Montero, from the rapper opening up about his relationship with his family, to a tribute for the music icon that continues to inspire him to this day.
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero premieres on HBO Saturday, January 27 at 8 p.m. ET.