Lil Nas X
Hordern Pavilion
★★★★
I first caught wind of Lil Nas X in a tiny Western Australian town called Yalgoo in 2019, where his breakthrough song Old Town Road – a somewhat radical mix of country and rap – brought even the shiest of primary school students to dance.
On the other side of the country four years later, Montero Lamar Hill, himself from a small city in Georgia, plays to a packed out pavilion. The artist is so flamboyant and comfortable on stage that it’s hard to believe he ever shied away from himself.
The narrative of Lil Nas X’s shows are propelled by animations on a giant backdrop.Credit:Jordan Munns
Hill’s fame came after years of isolating himself during his teenage years and grappling with his sexuality. It’s been a journey for the 23-year-old, but young concertgoers at his first Sydney show dressed and turned up with force.
A goddess-like woman shimmers on the stage’s backdrop, weaving the narrative through the show. “At first, all was dark,” she proclaims, before a burst of colour and smoke ushers in one of Hill’s early hits: Panini.
The artist is so flamboyant and comfortable on stage that it’s hard to believe he ever shied away from himself.Credit:Jordan Munns
The atmosphere is beautifully unearthly as the animated background moves between futuristic, surreal and intergalactic imagery – all the while retaining a sense of royalty. Lil Nas X is an excellent performer, contorting and cutting the air with sharp moves accentuated by his back-up dancers.
A golden horse appears on stage for a brief dream-like moment during Old Town Road, a rendition which is kept intriguing by changes in the pace and beat. Never is there a moment of monotony.
The gleaming costumes, including a giant pair of butterfly wings, don’t escape notice – but it’s the fearless energy, sass and attitude that distinguish the rapper as he covers Beyonce’s PURE/HONEY and performs his own 2021 number DONT WANT IT. Perhaps it’s this momentum that allows him to so effortlessly command a cathartic experience during songs such as THATS WHAT I WANT, propelled by a pulsing bass.