After weeks of teasing and a viral marketing campaign surrounding a faux legal battle with Nike, Lil Nas X is finally giving fans the single they’ve been waiting for with “Industry Baby.”
The gassed-up new anthem, produced by Take a Daytrip and Kanye West, sees Lil Nas X (and featured guest Jack Harlow) at his most triumphant. Kicking off with a horn fanfare, as though announcing its own arrival, “Industry Baby” sees the 22-year-old rapper touting his accolades over a driving beat and slick melody. “Baby bet, ayy, couple racks, ayy/ Couple Grammys on him, couple plaques, ayy,” he smirks in the opening lines of the song, before ultimately declaring that “this one is for the champions.”
“Industry Baby” is the third in a string of 2021 singles for the rapper, most notably following his viral hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” which topped the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper also announced that “Industry Baby” will be featured on his forthcoming debut studio album, Montero.
In promoting the new track, Lil Nas got fans riled up online when he began posting about a “court” date he had regarding his “Satan Shoes,” the collaboration with MSCHF that resulted in a since-settled lawsuit from Nike. The court date in question turned out to be a minute-long sketch that acted as a teaser for the song, in which Lil Nas was put on trial for being gay, resulting in him being sentenced to jailtime at “Montero State Prison.”
The rapper also went on the record early in the week to get ahead of any parents who may complain about the explicit content of his new music video, warning them off the bat that he would not be acting as a babysitter. “saying this in advance so y’all won’t blame me. THE INDUSTRY BABY VIDEO IS NOT FOR YOUR KIDS,” he wrote.
On Thursday, Lil Nas also shared a final heartfelt message to his younger self about the song, asking that he stay strong and push through any negativity that he was feeling. “I need you to keep going. I need you to realize that you have the opportunity to be the person that you needed growing up,” he said. “I need you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. And I need you to remember that the only person who has to believe in YOU is YOU.”
Watch Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” below:
