Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X Image via Twitter @LilNasX

Lil Nas X embraces his ‘cowboy era’ with Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ [watch]

Lil Nas X featured on BBC’s Live Lounge and covered Dolly Parton’s country classic ‘Jolene’ which the rapper describes as ‘beautifully sad’.

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X Image via Twitter @LilNasX

BBC Live Lounge has hosted the likes of British musician Harry Styles, rapper Little Simz and American rock band Paramore. The BBC Live Lounge hosted Grammy award-winning rapper Lil Nas X on 21 September and he performed a cover of Dolly Parton’s 1974 classic hit Jolene

ALSO READ: Must-watch: Billie Eilish’s passionate cover of ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’

LIL NAS X: THE ‘COWBOY ERA’

Montero Hill aka Lil Nas X stepped onto the music scene in 2018 with his now 15x platinum-certified single Old Town Road. He released multiple remixes of the song with one featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Old Town Road is the first single ever to spend 19 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. 

Having kick-started his career with a country single, the 22-year-old rapper took to Twitter in August to share that he’ll be returning to his “cowboy era” when his “gay era” is over. 

LIL NAS X COVERS DOLLY PARTON’S ‘JOLENE’

In his interview on BBC Radio 1, Lil Nas X described Dolly Parton’s Jolene as “beautifully sad.” 

“I like the little twang, like the country twang in it. So I was like, ‘Lemme try this out.’”

The Industry Baby rapper also performed songs from his debut album Montero, Thats What I Want and Dead Right Now, but his cover of the country classic Jolene was a standout. 

ALSO READ: SA to New York! Zädok goes BIG with Lil Nas X at MTV VMAs [watch]

‘MONTERO’ BABY REGISTRY

In anticipation of his debut album Montero, the rapper caused quite the stir when he was “pregnant” with the album. When a close friend or relative is expecting a baby, it is only natural that everyone gives them gifts from their baby registry. 

Instead of gifts, the young rapper encouraged his fans to donate some charities. He listed 16 charities on a website and encouraged people to donate to them. One of the charities on the list is an organisation founded by Miley Cyrus to rally youth to fight against injustices faced by homeless and LGBTQI+ youth. 

One of the charities, Bros in Convo, a charity that assists black LGBTQI+ men, said that they had already received $33 140 (R489 835) in donations. 

WATCH LIL NAS X’S COVER OF DOLLY PARTON’S ‘JOLENE’ HERE