Columbia/ YouTube
Lil Nas X has been on a tear. Starting on March 10, the "Montero" rapper and singer has released a new song per day, dropping off singles "DREAMBOY," "BIG DUMMY!," "SWISH," and "RIGHT THERE." It's all marked the stark beginnings of a brand new era, one heavily inspired by the color pink and Barbie aesthetic (the "DREAMBOY" music video has him rapping inside a life-sized doll box). "HOTBOX," his fifth single in a row, arrived today, March 14, with another magenta-hued visual to match.
The track is a groovy pop-rap cut about getting nasty — "you be the carpet, I'll be the vacuum," is one memorable line — with influences of Pharrell and OutKast. It's, in our opinion, the best of the batch. The song's visual continues the Barbie theme with a peek into what X's Ken playhouse might look like: a pink pool (his Nicki Minaj bias is showing), pink boxing ring, and pink rave.
Of the video, director and creative director Elias Talbot tells The FADER exclusively over email: “I worked with Montero on past projects as a cinematographer. We worked well together and really saw the same vision. I wanted to lean in to the simplicity of a white backdrop and really allow for his personality to shine through and not be overshadowed. Originally Montero was inspired by these pink elements, I was able to create a narrative based off his original inspiration.
"We scoured for the best location to shoot this piece, we landed on Vilnius, Lithuania… of all places! The crew and whole team there was beyond phenomenal, I had so much support. I have shot all over the world, I was blown away by the professionalism and artistry that this whole crew brought to our vision."
A full project hasn't been announced but we imagine that's coming soon. Watch the video for "HOTBOX," and listen to "DREAMBOY," "BIG DUMMY!," "SWISH," and "RIGHT THERE!"
Additional credits:
Jeremy Nachbar: EP, Producer
Hani Selim: EP/Managing Director
