Lil Nas X is catching heat for mocking Jesus in his new music video for the single “J Christ.”
The openly queer pop star hopped on Instagram on Jan. 15 and shared a video response to the backlash over his latest musical offering. Nas X initially noted on X/Twitter, “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world” on X/Twitter. He’s now apologizing amid backlash for his depiction of Jesus and other figures from the Bible, People reports.
“I wanted to not necessarily apologize, but I wanted to explain where my head at and where it’s been for like the last week. So first of all, when I did the artwork, I knew there would be some upset people or whatnot simply cause religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people. But I also didn’t mean to mock,” Lil Nas X said in a video uploaded on social media Monday.
“This wasn’t like a ‘f— you to you people. F— you to the Christians.’ It was not that. It was literally me saying, ‘Oh, I’m back. I’m back like Jesus.’ That was the whole thing,” he continued.
“I’m not the first person to dress up as Jesus. I’m not the first rapper. I’m not the first artist, and I won’t be the last. And I know, given my history with the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video, anything that I do related to religion can be seen as mockery. That just was not the case with this.”
He goes on to say that he knows he “messed up.”
“I know I messed up really bad this time, and I can act unbothered all I want, but it’s definitely taken a mental toll on me,” he said. “I do want my Christian fans to know that I am not against you. I was put on this earth to bring people closer together and promote love, and that’s who I am.”
Last month, Lil Nas X dropped a new “Christian” song and told fans he’s entering his “Christian era.”
“Free me from worry and wanting pity / Free me from all this envy in me / I don’t want these feelings / I don’t want these feelings / I call on angels / Im trying hard to face my pain, yeah / Give me hope when I feel / Give me hope when I feel less,” Nas X sings on the new single.
The Grammy-winning artist was criticized for the track, with one X/Twitter user noting that “GOD IS NOT AN ERA. IT’S A LIFESTYLE.
Actor/singer Tyrese Gibson responded to the song under The Shade Room‘s post about the track.
“Y’all gone learn to stop playing with God … God is not to be played with … From shoes with devil signs and devils blood in the [shoe] sole?” Tyrese wrote. “We can all change I get it but I feel a way about people making a mockery about Jesus. Do you, life your life .. Do what makes you happy but yall better stop playing with Jesus out here.”