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Lil Nas X has officially announced he's releasing a follow-up track to his recently released controversial single, J. Christ, this week. LNX took to his Instagram story on January 23 to post a behind-the-scenes shot from his music video for J Christ, captioning it with:
"We made it to billboard! I don't want yall to think I take this for granted! I appreciate you and adore you. New song next week!"
A day later, the rapper announced the upcoming song will be titled Where Do We Go Now and will hit streaming platforms on January 26, one day before his highly anticipated documentary Long Live Montero releases on HBO MAX.
LNX's post blew up with fans and critics slamming the rapper for his alleged humorous take on Christian ideologies, even after the rapper had posted an apology video addressing this situation on his social media last week.
Although heavily criticized for using Christian imagery, J Christ still debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his 18th entry on the Hot 100 charts, and currently has over 12 million views on YouTube two weeks into its release.
The Lil Nas X and J Christ Controversy
Lil Nas X suffered major backlash over the past few weeks stemming from his initial announcement on January 8, 2024, leading up to the release of J Christ on January 12.
Fans and critics were quick to address the rapper's portrayal of himself as Jesus as insensitive to Christians. The accompanying music video he released for the song only added to the stream of public backlash he was facing for the song.
A week after the release, LNX took to social media to address this backlash and try to clarify his stance on the topic. On January 15, he posted a video to his social media where he addressed the backlash by stating that it was never his intention to hurt or harm anybody's religious beliefs.
He clarified that the music video and song were simply artistic expressions. He added that his official return to music was symbolic of the way Jesus rose from the dead, and that is why he chose to incorporate Christian imagery in his music.
With his latest announcement of Where Do We Go Now releasing this week, fans are debating the impact this song will have on his career. Netizens are unsure whether the new song will continue with this new "Christian era" of his music or will attempt to stray further away from religious imagery.
Fans debate over the announcement of 'Where Do We Go Now' releasing next week
Although fans are excited that Lil Nas X has been active in releasing new music this early into 2024, many netizens are debating the themes of his upcoming releases.
Soon after Lil Nas X posted his announcement on Instagram, users flooded X to share their theories, criticisms, excitement, and anger over this new development.
A few fans took this opportunity to comment on the J Christ single and share their opinions on it. One user commented on a repost of LNX's announcement, saying:
"Hopefully it's not another disrespectful one. I'm rooting for him, but I couldn't support J Christ as a proud Christian."
Lil Nas X's critics were quick to dismiss the upcoming single and call out the rapper for his music. Many users claimed this was a desperate attempt by Lil Nas X to ride the recent controversies his promotional posts and music created over the past few weeks with another release.
Fans of Lil Nas X's music were delighted to know the rapper was releasing more music and praised him for his dedication to his craft. They also seemed excited about the upcoming Lil Nas X documentary Long Live Montero, which premiers on HBO MAX this weekend on January 27.
The backlash from Lil Nas X's first single for the year, J Christ, appears to still linger on the internet. However, given the apology video he posted last week, fans are left wondering what the new song, Where Do We Go Now, would revolve around.
