Lil Nas X brushed off a wardrobe malfunction and stole the show with a pair of impressive performances during the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 22.
Donning leather pants alongside a crew of shirtless dancers, Lil Nas X first performed “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” a wildly popular hit song that put queer themes front-and-center and shot to the top of the charts immediately after debuting in late March.
It was the first time Lil Nas X performed the song live — and he did not shy away one bit. One of the dancers licked him during the smooth and sweaty performance in front of a mainstream national audience.
But when Lil Nas X moved to dance on a pole, his leather pants ripped — and his face lit up in surprise. He managed to cover up before finishing the song without difficulty.
“NOT MY PANTS RIPPED ON LIVE ON TV,” he wrote in a tweet just minutes after the song concluded. “OMFG NO.”
Lil Nas X also took part in a pre-recorded Pride-related skit during the show before returning to the stage in a white suit to perform “Sun Goes Down,” which was just released on May 21. The emotional song focuses on Lil Nas X during his youth when he struggled with his sexuality.
Lil Nas X pulled off the pair of performances with ease, but after the show he revealed the roadblocks he experienced along the way.
“At first I was afraid to even perform,” he wrote on Twitter. “Then we rehearsed for two weeks, then all of the dancers got removed because one had COVID and new ones had to learn the routine in 24 hours, and then I ended up ripping my pants and couldn’t finish. Everything happens for a reason tho lol.”
Lil Nas X’s complete album, “Montero,” is expected to be released during the summer.
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