Call him by his name: Billboard chart darling. Rapper-singer-memer-Gen Zer supreme Lil Nas X’s debut album Montero is all over the Billboard charts following its September 17 drop.
The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, behind Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy. But Lil Nas X is clearly Billboard’s certified lover man, because Montero went on to snag 11 songs in the Hot 100.
More than that, the rapper landed three songs in the Top 10. His highest placement came with the Jack Harlow collab “Industry Baby,” which returned to No. 2 where it first peaked in August. “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” hit the 9th spot, though it previously went No. 1 in April. Finally, “That’s What I Want” came in at No. 10. The feat makes him perhaps the only out gay artist to have three Top 10 songs chat simultaneously, an achievement that already belongs to just a handful of musicians.
The album’s features all performed well. “Scoop” featuring Doja Cat ranked 42th, while “Dolla Sign Slime” with Megan Thee Stallion was 47th. “One of Me” with Elton John landed at 88th, while “Am I Dreaming” featuring Miley Cyrus brought up the rear of his chart-makers at 97th.
The remaining songs to chart were “Dead Right Now” at 72nd, “Tales of Dominica” at 86th, “’Lost in the Citadel” at 90th, and “Sun Goes Down” at 91st. “Sun Goes Down” previously peaked at 66th in June.
The only songs off Montero not to chart were “The Art of Realization,” “Void,” “Don’t Want It,” and “Life After Salem.”
This is, of course, not the first time Lil Nas X has hit the charts. His rise to fame with “Old Town Road” broke the Hot 100 record for most weeks at No.1 in 2019. The song lasted 19 weeks in the top position. Meanwhile, his EP 7 also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2019.
Lil Nas X tweeted his reaction to the Montero news today. “Wow I just became the first one-hit wonder of all time to have 11 songs on Billboard all at once,” he joked.
He also thanked his fans and retweeted a Billboard interview with his album’s executive producers, the duo Take A Daytrip.
His success came with a congratulatory tweet from Lizzo, who called his album “beautiful, heartfelt and necessary.” She also added, “You showed us how to innovate and be true to ourselves — I hope [you’re] having champagne today — celebrate yourself.”
Of course, Lil Nas X responded to this tweet. “Oh my god, [you] did not have to congratulate me! Thank you so much Lizzo. I’m tearing up [for real],” he said.
Congrats to Lil Nas X. It’s certainly only a matter of time before he releases another charting hit. Until this happens, though, stream “That’s What I Want.”
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