Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

He conquered the pop music world with his first hit. He trampled the border between country and hip hop. And he invited absolutely everybody along on his big, bright, queer celebration of life as an industry baby. He’s not yet 25.

Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, is an unprecedented artist and a singular phenomenon in pop culture. "Old Town Road" shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 19 weeks, the longest-running chart topper ever. He followed that with hits that were both irresistible and increasingly provocative. His stadium tours became must-attend events for anyone hoping to catch this dazzling moment in pop culture.

Documentary filmmakers Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel embedded themselves with Lil Nas X as he navigated the whirlwind of fame, creativity, and growing responsibility that came with his meteoric success. The resultant film features spectacular tour footage and fascinating glimpses of life backstage, interwoven with Montero pre-fame — even then, his vision and ambition were clear.

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero offers a joyous immersion in the world of a game-changing artist and the fans who've joined him in that change. To watch concertgoers express what it means to share space with a Black, gay superstar, with their fellow fans, and with thousands of families brought into their world through the power of pop music, is to capture a precious image of how transformation happens.

Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival