Lil Nas X Channels Egyptian Royalty for ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ at BET Awards

Lil Nas X embodied the pharaohs for his performance of “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” at the 2021 BET Awards.

Inspired by the video for Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” the singer/rapper and his dancers donned outfits reminiscent of ancient Egyptian royalty. While not quite as extravagant as Lil Nas’ own music video for the song, the performance still echoed the track’s themes of gay identity and self-discovery, with Lil Nas X swaggering onstage and giving a steamy kiss to one of his male dancers at the end.

Lil Nas X was the winner of last year’s BET Award for Best New Artist. Earlier this month, he participated in the Can’t Cancel Pride livestream benefit event, alongside Dolly Parton, Pink, Elton John, Demi Lovato, Yola, Troye Sivan and more. The concert is available to stream via iHeartRadio’s social channels through the end of the month of June.

In May, Lil Nas X released a new single, “Sun Goes Down,” in which he gives advice to his younger self. He was also the musical guest on the May 22nd episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Anya Taylor-Joy, in which he performed “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and “Sun Goes Down.”