Lil Nas X took the stage at the 2022 Grammys draped in sparkles and backed by an entourage of dancers to perform three of his “Montero” hits.
Following an introduction by Trevor Noah, the seasoned performer started his ground-shaking performance with “Dead Right Now,” backed by a line of drummers.
A slew of tall screens displaying the many controversial tweets sparked by the “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” music video ushered the rapper into his next song. Decorated in diamonds, Nas belted the track in front of a massive-sized bust of his own head. Shortly after, Jack Harlow joined him on stage for a high-energy, marching band-inspired performance of their collaborative hit single, “Industry Baby.”
Nas’ “Montero” and his breakout single “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” are both up for three of the big four categories this year: record of the year, album of the year and song of the year. The Tanu Muino-directed video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” also earned a nomination for best music video.
With five nods under his belt, Nas becomes the first artist out of Atlanta to be nominated in the big categories since Outkast. Nas earned two Grammy Awards in 2020 for his career-launching viral hit “Old Town Road (Remix),” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
The young superstar’s rebellious and unapologetic personality has inspired the likes of many, with icons such as Elton John deeming him a “bold and brave provocateur.” His “Industry Baby” counterpart, Harlow, told PvNew in an interview, “I think the community he represents could use someone who’s succeeding on a mainstream level — where it can feel like, ‘Yo, you can be No. 1. You can be the greatest.’ I really recognize what he’s doing and I admire him. I admired him long before we met.”
