Lil Nas X has a life-altering crush in his new single “Need Dat Boy.” Over a slowly morphing beat that goes from moody ballad to an uptempo, drum-n-bass beat, Nas describes the feeling of yearning, admitting, “I been lookin’ for a muse, need a new persona / Put your picture on my wall, you my new Madonna.” However, as he reveals in the second verse, it isn’t just about satisfying his physical needs, but also kick-starting his creativity. “Man, f*ck this pity party,” he sneers. “When I’m back up I’m shootin’ shots at everybody.”
He already got started on that goal, clapping back at Azealia Banks after she called him washed up. Even before this, Nas wasn’t shy about supporting his claim in “Need Dat Boy” that “a lot of y’all are just my peers, y’all ain’t my friends,” noting that only Jack Harlow was down to collaborate with him after he came out.
Still, it seems the goal of his new album, Dreamboy, is more to recenter himself, seeking his own validation rather than that of peers, partners, or fans. His Dreamboy trailer and the album’s first single, “Light Again,” addressed this goal, and from the sounds of things, he’s well on his way.
You can listen to Lil Nas X’s new single, “Need Dat Boy,” above.
Dreamboy is coming soon via Columbia Records.
