Lil Nas X has addressed the hostility over his controversial new song and music video, which has been bashed for making a mockery of Christianity.
In a video shared on Instagram, the US rapper and singer says the criticism on ‘J Christ’ has taken a mental toll on him and he didn't mean any offence.
The video includes images of heaven and hell, and portrays Lil Nas X being crucified on a cross. It also has the entertainer posing as Noah and replicating the biblical story of Noah’s Ark and the flood, told in the Bible in the book of Genesis.
“I know I messed up really bad this time. I can act unbothered all I want, but it’s definitely taken a mental toll on me,” he said in the video shared on Monday.
“I’m not some evil demon guy trying to destroy everybody’s values and stuff like that. That’s not me”.
He added: “When I did the artwork, I knew there would be some upset people simply because religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people. But I also didn’t mean to mock... It was literally me saying 'I’m back', like Jesus.”
Controversy surrounded the singer even before the debut of ‘J Christ’. Ahead of the release, he posted a TikTok video of himself acting out taking communion, by eating crackers and juice. He later apologised for it and said he only did it to “lighten the mood”.
Lil Nas X recently posted a fake acceptance letter to a course at Liberty University, the largest evangelical Christian university in the US. He also joked that he was going to start releasing gospel music.
The singer, who’s most known for his debut single ‘Old Town Road’ faced major backlash from Christians in 2021 after collaborating with an art company to produce a line of “Satan shoes” which had human blood in the sole and were decorated with a pentagram and a Bible verse, Luke 10:18.
