Lil Nas X holds one particular guiding phrase close to his heart: “Walk by faith, not by sight.” The quote comes from his late mother, Tamikia Hill, whose death he announced in August. “As I move through life it resonates more and more,” he said about the quote. It’s what he’s holding onto as he takes his first confident strides back into music with “World’s Greatest!,” his first single in nearly two years.
Lil Nas X introduced “World’s Greatest!” with a stirring social video in which he listened back to a voicemail his mother left him. “Hey Doobie, been calling you multiples times today,” she said in the clip. “I just wanna say, I love you. Keep your head up. Continue to walk by faith, not by sight. Let go and let God handle the rest. Everything is gonna work itself in its own place. Don’t give up, never give up.” Hill ended the voicemail with a promise to call her son back, “just to check up on you,” she said.
With “World’s Greatest!,” Lil Nas X does some checking up of his own. The song builds on the foundation of his mother’s words of wisdom with a mantra of his own: “I hope your dreams work out for you/I hope your green comes out the blue/I hope you learn to love again/Yeah, I hope you learn to trust the plan.” The rock-driven single is the most musically self-assured and inspired release from Lil Nas X since his 2021 debut, Montero.
“World’s Greatest!” arrives alongside a poignant music video directed by Phillip Youmans. The rapper and singer born Montero Hill returned to his hometown of Atlanta to capture the visual, which traces threads between his past and present as he navigates his coming-of-age experience. It’s a candid and sensitive presentation from the 27-year-old, who has been largely absent from the spotlight following a very public mental health crisis and subsequent bipolar diagnosis for which endured a stint in rehab.
Standing in front of his own reflection at a dance studio, Lil Nas X keeps hitting a mental block as he tries to move freely through the space. There’s something holding him back. He’s physically present, but in his mind he’s thinking back to his childhood. There’s a scene of a younger version of himself trying on high-heeled boots, dozing off at church, and snagging candy bars from the corner store when the cashier isn’t looking.
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They’re small, carefree moments that build up over time and have shaped Lil Nas X in the process. Reconnecting with that inner part of himself proves to be the key to release as his younger self appears in the studio, instructing him to mirror his movements. Suddenly, his rigid movements are free flowing and his head is held up high without anyone having to tilt his chin up. “I’m a champion,” he repeats throughout the song. As nears the end, there’s a spliced sample of the lyric “This one is for the champions,” pulled from “Industry Baby.”
When the song ends and he’s standing in the studio all alone, Lil Nas X runs it back again — this time more sure than ever. The voicemail from the song announcement closes out the video, which he dedicated to his mother. “Love u forever mommy,” his tribute reads.
