Montero (Call Me By Your Name)

This song was Lil Nas X’s first 2021 single, but also the title of the album, in which the title of the song is his real name, Montero Lamar Hill, rather than his stage name. This is a song that can be played while you hang out with your friends, on a long drive, or just need a song with mellow beats. As for the story behind the song, the lyrics may not outrightly explain what the whole song is about. Lil Nas X came out as gay in 2019. He said that the song was partially inspired by the 2017 movie “Call Me By Your Name” and mostly was about him hiding a part of his identity for so long. In the lyrics, “Cocaine and drinking with your friends, You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend,” reveals that he is the dark, still in the closet, and he is not happy with himself. The most important part of this song is towards the end when Lil Nas X wants to be called out by his real name in public and be loved in private: “Oh, call me by your name (mmm, mmm, mmm), Tell me you love me in private.” The “mmm” throughout the song is an important aspect of the context of the song. It’s kind of like the sound in your head and a nodding signal when you like or enjoy something. The “mmm” in this context is the same, when you look at someone and do the “mmm” look, they know exactly what you’re trying to say without actually saying a word. Aside from the musical elements of the song, it has a personal touch to it, that when you listen to it, you’re not just listening, you’re understanding.