Lil Nas X says wearing a skirt on tour helped set his ‘younger self free’

Lil Nas X opened up about his fashion sense and revealed how wearing a skirt at one of his recent shows helped him set his “younger self free”.

The 23-year-old singer conducted a recent interview with People where he shared what his style meant to him and how it has evolved through doing “things that [her] normally wouldn’t”.

“Style is a form of self-expression,” he said. “It’s a way to show people who you are, or at least how you want them to perceive you. I feel like to get further in life, you have to shed skins and do things that you normally wouldn’t.”

The “Industry Baby” singer also confessed that despite his self-confidence, he was “really nervous” about wearing a skirt during a show in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

“I was really nervous about going out on stage in front of my family and everybody in my cute, little Coach skirt,” he said.

He said that once he got on stage, a part of himself felt “free,” before detailing how his family told him how “proud” they were of him after the show.

“As soon as I walked out, I felt like I was setting my younger self free,” Lil Nas X continued. “Afterwards, my family — a lot of whom used to believe in everything opposite to what’s up on that stage — told me they were really proud. I feel like I’m changing some minds.”

Lil Nas X, whose original name is Montero Lamar Hill, also emphasised how he’s become more comfortable with himself through his “music”.

“I’m less afraid to step out of my comfort zone,” he says. “Lil Nas X is helping Montero become more himself. Music has made me much more confident.”

This wasn’t the first time that the “Old Town Road” singer has discussed his approach to fashion. During an interview with GQ Style in May 2021, he explained how he’s become bolder.

“I’ve grown to love more of what a look can be than the actual fashion itself,” he said. “Fashion is one of those things that I can use to feed that part of me that loves to step into new areas.”

He went on to praise his stylist, Hodo Musa, for encouraging him to take on looks that not only feel “authentic” but also allow him to “shine”. Musa also shared details about the process of creating the singer’s outfits.

“We play with textures that normally men don’t do,” Musa explained, before noting that it’s been “very intentional” for them to work with queer or black designers, as Lil Nas X publicly came out as gay in 2019.

“When you align yourself with people like that, then you do magic,” she added. “Good things happen.”