Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ Goes Kidz Bop; Mastodon Apologizes For Gay Slur; DaBaby Back With Rolling Loud; Boosie Stays Homophobic: Music Roundup

Lil Nas X Goes Kidz Bop

Lil Nas X’s statement piece “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” reigned so long atop the pop charts that it only made sense that Kidz Bop, the long-running music series that covers pop music for child audiences, would add it to its collection.

But the reworked version of the song has drawn some criticism from Lil Nas X fans for stripping out references to LGBTQ identities. The cover expectedly removes references to drugs and sexual acts in the song, but lyrics that center its voice as queer ( and even some that don’t) have also been reworked. The Kidz Bop version removes the word “boy” from the line “You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend” and changes biblical references to Eve and the Garden of Eden to, as one commenter put it, “degayify” the song.

Montero himself seems to be having fun with this version of the song, though. He tweeted out a clip of the song last month and complimented the performers. “Not even joking I just saw this commercial,” the artist said. “They killed it tho.”

Mastodon Apologizes For Homophobic Slur

Atlanta-based metal band Mastodon apologized Friday after guitarist Brent Hinds used “gay” in a negative context during a recent podcast interview.

Hinds made the comment during an interview on Thursday’s episode of “The Jasta Show,” hosted by Hatebreed frontman Jimmy Jasta. When the topic of tours came up, Hinds used the term to slight the Mayhem tour, which Mastodon participated with alongside the band Disturbed.

“I did a lot of tours I didn’t want to do though, like Disturbed and all the Mayhem stupid bullshit. Gay ass shit,” Hinds said. “You gotta fucking open up for Disturbed. You gotta play to people that like Disturbed.”

Mastodon's Brent Hinds disses Disturbed and comes under fire for homophobic remark https://t.co/8GLfmXMEz0
— Louder (@LouderPosts) November 5, 2021

The podcast appearance, which has since been deleted by Jasta, drew criticism from out music journalist Morgan Y. Evans. According to Loudwire, Evans called out Hinds’ comments on the band’s Instagram page, eliciting a response from the band’s drummer Brann Dailor.

“This really bums me out. I’m very sorry we hurt your feelings or anyone else’s, that is never our intention,” Dailor said. “We want our LGBTQ fans to feel safe listening to our music and coming to see us live. We also have no ill will towards Disturbed, they were always super cool to us on the Mayhem tour. I think that interviewer might have caught Brent on a bad day. Sorry for upsetting you or anyone else, we appreciate you and all of our fans very much.”

Dailor further commented that he has “no control over Brent” and that he “rarely does interviews” in a private message that Evans shared publicly.

Country Music Figure Cody Alan Opens Up In New Memoir

CMT and Nashville mainstay Cody Alan is one in a growing population of LGBTQ presences in country music, and in his new memoir, “Hear’s The Thing,” Alan opens up on his experiences as an out gay fixture in the field.

Alan came out in 2017 and pointed to his experience as a perspective that could be important for readers to learn from. “When I cam out there just weren’t a lot of people who were gay and making country music,” Alan said in an interview with Spotify. “It was a bit scary to speak up, to be completely honest. But since then, there’s been this flurry of people, including chart-topping artist TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne finding his way and speaking his truth. And how powerful is it when you have someone with his success represent?”

He further touched on the growing diversity within country music. “I’ve seen more of that happening – and not just among the LGBTQ individuals but also with African Americans,” Alan said. “You see this flurry of activity where diversity is being celebrated in country music, and I think it’s an awesome thing. There’s a real outcry now among many people to show that country music is not what you think it is. It is open. It is free. And it’s more diverse than it ever has been.”

“Hear’s The Thing” is due out on November 9.

Billy Porter Apologizes To Harry Styles

“Pose” star Billy Porter offered amends to “Watermelon Sugar” singer Harry Styles during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after saying Styles was the wrong person to represent the growing presence of nonbinary fashion. Porter’s initial comments came after Styles posed in a dress for the Dec. 2020 issue of Vogue.

“I feel like the fashion industry has accepted me because they have to. I’m not necessarily convinced and here is why. I created the conversation and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time,” Porter said in a Sunday Times interview last month. “This is politics for me. This is my life. I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars and not be gunned down All he has to do is be white and straight.”

Porter is widely known for his fashion statement just as much as his acting and singing ability. He famously appeared in a luxurious tuxedo gown at the 2019 Oscars, a visual widely seen as one of the first major statements of nonbinary fashion on a major public stage.

On Thursday, Porter clarified his statements, saying that he was pointing out a larger cultural issue regarding representation rather than focusing directly on Styles. “Harry Styles, I apologize to you for having your name in my mouth. It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you. The conversation is actually deeper than that,” Porter said.

“It is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture,” he continued. “Now, that’s a lot to unpack. I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or my humanity in sound bites on social media. So, when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a bitch. OK? I’m ready to have it.”

DaBaby Back With Rolling Loud After Homophobia Controversy

DaBaby and Rolling Loud are teaming up for a U.S. tour after the Charlotte rapper reportedly learned from the homophobic controversy he has been mired in for months. Dubbed the “Live Show Killa Tour,” the move marks the festival organizers’ first major partnership with the artist since he made homophobic and anti-AIDS comments on stage at Rolling Loud Miami in July.

A Rolling Loud representative told Rolling Stone that they believe DaBaby has “grown” since making those comments in July and that the organization “supports second chances.” The beleaguered rapper also reportedly got an endorsement from LGBTQ organization Relationship Unleashed in his return to the stage. The organization’s CEO Gwendolyn D. Clemons told TMZ that she believed DaBaby “deserved to perform at Rolling Loud in [New York]” after meeting with him and educating him on why his comments were wrong and hurtful.

Relationship Unleashed was one of multiple LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS organizations that met with DaBaby in an educational effort following his comments. Clemons has since disputed the TMZ report, saying she was “grossly misquoted.” In a statement on Instagram, Relationship Unleashed “vehemently” denied “this assertion and the reporting does not align with our values or mission.”

Boosie BadAzz Continues Homophobic Streak

Rapper Boosie BadAzz has never been shy about making homophobic and transphobic comments, going so far as to threaten violence against out rapper Lil Nas X. He continued his habit Tuesday while responding to criticism from “The Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne Tha God and LGBTQ activist Ts Madison.

During an appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” Madison took aim at Boosie for his comments toward Lil Nas X. “Boosie. [N-word], what is you bothered with Lil Nas X for,” Madison said. “When he said that he’s a detriment like, to kids and we need to worry about all the kids and all that stuff, but I’m like, you the same man had a grown ass woman perform fellatio on your young son. You didn’t see anything wrong with that.”

According to XXL, Madison referred to Boosie’s multiple claims that he arranged for a “grown woman” to perform oral sex on his underage son. Charlamagne joined with Madison, saying no street rapper or anyone else has the right to label Lil Nas X as a threat to children whenever so many other topics popularized in hip-hop have had adverse effects on children as well. He included “violence towards people, selling celebration of drugs, using or selling” as examples.

Boosie responded via Twitter reply, though he replied to tweet celebrating the anniversary of the film “Paid In Full” rather than any of Charlamagne’s tweets. “They still got my name [in] they mouth bout that gay shit LOL,” Boosie wrote. “[Charlamagne] U part of the problem keep egging these people on your show with this bro. U using your platform to support Nas X [and] his antics (I see what side U on) He said fuck y’all kids SMH dummies.”

Charlamagne responded to Boosie on Wednesday’s edition “The Breakfast Club,” saying “I’m not on no side. I’m on the side of Blackness.”