Lil Nas X wanted Nicki Minaj to be on the song but she refused for some strange reason

Fans have been clamoring for a Lil Nas X and Nicki Minaj collaboration ever since the hit-maker confirmed his standom of the longtime rap queen. It looks like our dreams almost came true when he was pulling together duet partners for his debut album Montero.

The “That’s What I Want” rapper told GQ Minaj was one of only two features he wasn’t able to secure for the track list. If things had worked according to the original plan, she’d have a verse on “Industry Baby.”

Obviously, the feature didn’t pan out. Lil Nas X pivoted to work with Jack Harlow on the track, which became his third to top the Billboard Hot 100. Its music video also went viral and has been viewed more than 200 million views on YouTube, further establishing the relative newcomer as a driving force in the industry.

Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – INDUSTRY BABY (Official Video)

“I feel like things always work out,” he told GQ about the missed opportunity to duet with Minaj. “Jack Harlow ended up being, like, the best option. I’m not sure how comfortable Nicki would have felt with that video or whatnot.”

Lil Nas X also opened up about his initial hesitancy to express his fandom for Minaj. Before he topped the charts with “Old Town Road,” the rising star ran a stan account on Twitter, which he denied out of fears that people would assume he was gay before he publicly came out.

He said lying about the account was “probably the last lie” he’d told publicly.

“It was so much anxiety. Like, I literally felt like, ‘Oh, my God, this is like a setup. And I’m going to die soon,’” he explained. “It was much darker in my head than people were probably seeing. And it was also like, damn, I’ve been working hard, like not sleeping, and I just made it to the music industry, and this is going to ruin everything for me.”

This isn’t the first time Lil Nas X tried to get Minaj on a song, either. He shot his shot on Twitter last year. At the time, he explained his fears to Barbz (Minaj’s fans) who called him out for formerly denying his fandom.

Minaj admitted that she was hurt by Lil Nas X’s initial decision but congratulated him for speaking his truth. Unfortunately, she did not appear to comment on the request to collab.

Check out their interaction below.

the generous queen, i love u. and i’m sorry i did that in a time where u were already getting so much bandwagon hate. i felt so bad, hoping u wouldn’t see my denial. i was just so afraid of people finding out about me and losing everything before i even got a chance. pic.twitter.com/3kgJctDJt1

— ✟ (@LilNasX) June 17, 2020

Hopefully they’re able to hit the studio together at some point in the future.

Who was the second feature that didn’t work out for Montero? Lil Nas X wanted to get Drake on “Dolla Sign Slime” alongside Megan Thee Stallion.

He previously talked about trying to collaborate with Drake during an interview with The Breakfast Club. Lil Nas X explained that it didn’t come together because the superstar was working on his own album, Certified Lover Boy, at the time.

Interestingly, Certified Lover Boy is the album that blocked Montero from the top spot on the Billboard 200. Lil Nas X told GQ that it stung a bit, but he ultimately shrugged it off.

“There are too many other wins to be upset,” he said.

Controversial Pop Songs That Faced Backlash

Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy”

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Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy”

Upon first listen, Britney Spears’ 2008 song “If U Seek Amy” seemed like just another bop. However, when fans noticed the track featured an extremely provocative double entendre, people were outraged — because the title and lyrics’ chorus essentially translates to “f–k me.” It caused so much controversy, the Parents Television Council demanded the song be banned from radio play. “There is no misinterpreting the lyrics to this song, and it’s certainly not about a girl named Amy,” PTC president Tim Winter said at the time. Despite the backlash, “If U Seek Amy” was a success and even made the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings”

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Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings”

It’s safe to say Ariana Grande had the best year of her career in 2018. She dropped two successful albums, Sweetener and Thank U, Next, as well as a string of No. 1 singles. But after releasing her song “7 Rings,” the pop star was met with a ton of backlash for seemingly appropriating black culture because of lyrics like, “You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it.” She was also accused of plagiarizing artists like Princess Nokia and Soulja Boy. Following the controversy, she apologized, writing, “It’s never my intention to offend anybody.”

Billie Eilish’s “Wish You Were Gay”

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Billie Eilish’s “Wish You Were Gay”

17-year-old Billie Eilish found herself at the center of some controversy when she dropped her song “Wish You Were Gay.” The track was criticized for being offensive to the LGBTQ community because of lyrics like, “I can’t tell you how much I wish I didn’t wanna stay / I just kinda wish you were gay.” However, the singer has made it clear that she never intended to insult anyone, adding that she “tried so hard to not make it in any way offensive.”

Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean”

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Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean”

Justin Bieber’s hit song “What Do You Mean,” off his 2015 Purpose album, sparked a debate about consent because some people, including Girls actress Lena Dunham, found that his lyrics alluded to rape culture. On the track he sings, “When you nod your head yes / But you wanna say no / What do you mean?” Fans wondered if the pop star really understood what consent means because if a woman says no, she means no.

Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty”

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Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty”

In 2002, Christina Aguilera released her fourth studio album, Stripped, which was completely different from what fans were used to. Not only did she completely alter her wholesome image by taking on her edgy new persona, Xtina, but she dropped the song “Dirrty” — a provocative track that is still considered controversial because of its explicit lyrics and music video. Basically, people were shocked to see a woman take ownership of her body and sexuality.

Chris Brown’s “Back to Sleep”

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Chris Brown’s “Back to Sleep”

Chris Brown is no stranger to controversy. The singer faced a ton of backlash when he dropped “Back to Sleep,” off his 2015 album Royalty. Some fans called him out for perpetuating rape culture, while others thought it was inappropriate to have a song like this on an album he named after his daughter Royalty, especially when it featured lyrics like “Just let me rock, f–k you back to sleep girl / Don’t say a word no, girl don’t you talk.” In other words, singing about having sex with a woman while telling her not to say a word is VERY problematic.

Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”

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Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”

Even though Katy Perry’s 2008 song “I Kissed a Girl” put her on the map, it caused some controversy because it trivialized queer female sexuality during a time when bisexuality — or sexual fludity in general — were not spoken of so openly in the media. Perry also faced backlash from others who called her out for using the song to garner attention. But, in a 2018 interview with Glamour, the singer said if she could do it all over again, she would rewrite a few of the song’s lyrics. “Lyrically, it has a couple of stereotypes in it. Your mind changes so much in 10 years, and you grow so much. What’s true for you can evolve,” she said.

Lady Gaga’s “Do What U Want”

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Lady Gaga’s “Do What U Want”

Lady Gaga has faced tons of backlash for collaborating on the song “Do What U Want” with R. Kelly. But despite the criticism, she continued to perform the track with the disgraced R&B singer, who’s been accused of sexual misconduct, as well publicly ignored the controversy for years. However, following the release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, fans demanded an an explanation from the pop star. In 2018, she broke her silence to apologize and make a vow to remove “Do What U Want” from all music streaming services.

Kanye West’s “Famous”

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Kanye West’s “Famous”

In what is perhaps the most controversial lyric ever, Kanye West sang, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b—h famous” on his 2016 track “Famous.” Following the song’s release, many criticized the rapper for using such a misogynistic line. However, West defended himself, saying he asked for Swift’s permission, which the “Delicate” singer later strongly denied. This resulted in one of pop culture’s most infamous feuds to date.

Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”

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Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”

Miley Cyrus made a lot of headlines in 2015 when she took on her Bangerz image. Not only was she accused of appropriating black culture, but her song “We Can’t Stop” faced backlash over the lyrics, “So la-da-di-da-di ,we like to party, dancing with Miley,” which some believed actually meant “dancing with Molly” — a reference to the drug MDMA. This came as a shock for people who didn’t expect a former Disney star to sing about drugs. At first, Cyrus denied it. However, in an interview with The Daily Mail, she came clean, saying, “It depends who’s doing what. If you’re aged 10, it’s ‘Miley.’ If you know what I’m talking about, then you know.”

Paramore’s “Misery Business”

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Paramore’s “Misery Business”

Though “Misery Business” is one of Paramore’s biggest hits, the song also features a controversial lyric that many fans have deemed anti-feminist. The line, “Once a w—e, you’re nothing more / I’m sorry, that will never change” was so problematic, frontwoman Hayley Williams recently revealed she and the band would no longer be performing the track. Williams also told fans in 2015 that “Misery Business”’ is “not a set of lyrics that I relate to as a 26-year-old woman. I haven’t related to it in a very long time. Those words were written when I was 17… admittedly, from a very narrow-minded perspective.”

Robin Thick’s “Blurred Lines”

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Robin Thick’s “Blurred Lines”

Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Line” may have been summer 2013’s hit song, but many believed the track’s lyrics, including “I hate these blurred lines / I know you want it” alluded to non-consensual sex, while others thought Thicke singing, “Just let me liberate you” referred to date rape. Then, to make matters worse, he released the music video, which basically saw the singer objectifying naked women while he and rappers Pharrell and T.I walked around fully clothed.

Katy Perry’s “Ur So Gay”

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Katy Perry’s “Ur So Gay”

Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” wasn’t the only controversial song off her 2008 album One of the Boys. Many thought her single “Ur So Gay” was deeply offensive because of lyrics like, “I can’t believe I fell in love with someone that wears more makeup and / You’re so gay and you don’t even like boys.” Fans deemed the track homophobic and straight up rude, especially because of her immature and negative use of gay stereotypes.

The Weeknd’s “Lost in the Fire”

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The Weeknd’s “Lost in the Fire”

The Weeknd’s single “Lost in the Fire” made headlines for the wrong reasons in 2019 after the singer was called out for being homophobic and misogynistic. On the track, he sings about pursuing a woman who is into woman, dismissing her lesbianism as a “phase” and then suggesting a threesome with “a friend” so he can “f–k [her] straight.” Many found his lyrics to be the root of toxic masculinity, pointing out that queer woman don’t exist to be objectified by men and that they certainly cannot be “f–ked straight.”

Rita Ora’s “Girls”

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Rita Ora’s “Girls”

Many expected Rita Ora’s song “Girls” with Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, and Charli XCX to be a queer anthem about being your true self, but following its release, a lot of fans were disappointed because the track perpetuates some stereotypes about bisexuality. On the song, the women sand about drinking wine and “sometimes” just wanting to kiss girls, which many felt further validated the ignorant belief that woman only hook up with other women when they’re drunk. Even celebrities criticized the song, with Hayley Kiyoko condemning the lyrics as “tone-deaf” and Kehlani tweeting that the song was “harmful.”