Singer Lil Nas X broke the internet when releasing “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” along with a note to his 14 year old self about coming out. The song, which is about no longer wanting to hide a queer relationship, was accompanied by a video featuring Lil Nas X as various biblical characters and a limited edition run of 666 Satan Shoes, each retailing for $1,018 per pair.
Now Lil Nas X is receiving polarizing mixed feedback ranging from praise for sharing his personal journey in identifying as homosexual, to backlash for the portrayal of controversial figures and for the customized sneakers. The customized sneakers released with brand MSCHF, are in fact originally Nike Air Max 97 sneakers which have been modified in a black and red colorway, with a bronze pentagram charm and a drop of human blood in the mid-sole. Nike has filed suit against MSCHF Product Studio Inc. for trademark infringement as the so called 666 Satan sneakers prominently feature the signature Nike swoosh, and were not authorized by Nike themselves. Adding to the fact, Nike feels the brand image is suffering as a result of being associated with satanism.
The most genius part of the promotion, though, may not be the shoes or video. As one fan pointed out in a tweet that was retweeted by the Grammy award winning singer, “Call me by your name slaps 10x harder knowing how mad people are about it.” The culture war that the song, video and sneakers prompted has caused discussion of the track and singer to skyrocket. “Montero” has been streamed nearly 9 million times on Spotify. The video has been viewed more than 33 million times on YouTube. His limited edition Satan Shoes sold out in under 60 seconds.
By: MSCHF / @luxurylifestylemagazine
