Lil Nas X says he didn’t plan to come out as gay this summer – in part because he feared hip-hop fans would abandon him – but he was “pushed by the universe” to do so.
In an interview with Time (where he graces the cover), the rapper explained: “I know the people who listen to this the most, and they’re not accepting of homosexuality. “In June, I’m seeing Pride flags everywhere and seeing couples holding hands – little stuff like that.”
Lil Nas X said he came out to his father and sister in early June before casually sharing the personal info with fans on Twitter.
Elsewhere in the interview, Lil Nas X talks about the record-breaking success of “Old Town Road,” a song he wrote that uses a beat for which he paid $30 U.S.
He admitted that he has dealt with acute anxiety so the new realities of his life can be “overwhelming.”
“I just shut down on everybody," he said. "I’m still a loner in a lot of ways."