Lil Nas X [1] had some wise words for those pursuing their dreams. At the iHeartRadio Music Awards [2] on Wednesday night, the "Industry Baby" rapper was the recipient of the male artist of the year award. During his acceptance speech [3], he recalled a recent TikTok he saw of a woman who encouraged fans to "be delusional." At the time he watched it, Lil Nas X said, he didn't quite grasp the concept until he thought about it from the prospective of his music career.
"I wouldn't be where I am right now, in my life and my career, if I weren't delusional. Believing I could drop out of school and become an international success within a year. It's delusional!" he told the crowd. "Believing that I could come out of the closet in the height of my career . . . to think that I could do that would be delusional!" he added, referring to coming out as gay in 2019 [4]. "To think that I could do a song about a man lusting after another man in a world where it's still legal in many places to be prosecuted and actually killed for being who you are, for being gay . . . it's delusional to think that that song could be the number one song in the world." He concluded, "It's OK to be delusional when you're chasing your dreams. When you have a vision in mind, you can be delusional."
Lil Nas X has stacked up awards and nominations in just three years following the success of his 2019 hit "Old Town Road [5]." At the upcoming Grammy Awards [6], he's up for five awards, including a nomination for best album for his debut album, "Montero." The rapper has also received nominations for the BRIT Awards [7], which took place in February, and the upcoming 2022 GLAAD Media Awards [8].
