Thread by @Variety

“I feel like I’m in control of my career,” says @LilNasX, Variety’s Innovator of the Year. “I’m not bowing down to what someone on my team says. I can’t be successful without being creatively free.” bit.ly/3DhBOzK

When it comes to courting virality, the internet-savvy hitmaker is peerless. By gleefully pushing buttons in the name of social change and self-expression, the 22-year-old has almost single-handedly revived the event video. bit.ly/3DhBOzK

“For me to feel 100% confident in a song, I have to know exactly how I’m going to promote it,” Nas says. “I’m focused on the smallest of things.” bit.ly/3DhBOzK

Nas' “Montero” video sparked the kind of uproar not seen since the 1980s, when Madonna made out with Jesus in “Like a Prayer,” but instead of deflecting or running from the controversy, Nas wholeheartedly embraced it. bit.ly/3DhBOzK

He stoked the flames by starting a #PoleDanceToHell challenge on TikTok (offering a $10,000 incentive) and steadily unveiled post-drop content including a mock apology video. bit.ly/3DhBOzK

While lightning rarely strikes twice, the “Industry Baby” video made headlines thanks to a choreographed shower scene. Determined to extend the chatter, Nas got creative and released “Uncensored” and “Industry Baby Without Music” versions. bit.ly/3DhBOzK

“I’m always trying to give people a show while also pointing out the flaws within society,” Nas say of his daring visuals. “I’m the product of the internet, so now that I’m here, I can use all these tools to my advantage.” he says. bit.ly/3DhBOzK

Read Lil Nas X’s full Innovator of the Year interview bit.ly/3DhBOzK