Lil Nas X might be jumping in the Big Red Car, after being spotted with iconic children’s band The Wiggles at Byron Bay’s Falls Festival.
The Wiggles and Lil Nas X have courted controversy following their recent tease of a music collaboration, after both acts performed at Falls Festival over the new year period late last month. In the midst of their appearance at the multi-day music festival, which took place in North Byron Parklands, The Wiggles posted an image of themselves alongside Lil Nas X on Instagram, accompanying the picture with the caption: “New collaboration in the wind?”.
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While most commenters were rightfully excited about the potential joint, a few took umbrage at the supposed inapprioteness of a Lil Nas appearance on a children’s record. “I don’t see how someone who lap dances the devil in their music videos is a good candidate for working in the children’s music industry”, one user wrote, referencing the rapper’s 2021 music video for smash hit MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).
“Gross, banned from our household,” another commenter wrote. In addition to Lil Nas X’s music videos, naysayers pointed to the rapper’s release of a devil-themed Nike shoe in 2021, which was billed as having a drop of human blood in the brand’s swoosh logo. The shoe, used to drum up publicity for Lil Nas’ self-titled debut album, led to a legal battle with the footwear company, and was referenced in The Wiggles’ Instagram comments.
Users labelled the rapper as “Luciferian” and “a devil worshipper”, echoing similar sentiments first made by right-wing commentators upon the release of the ‘Satan’ shoe in 2021. Responding to said claims on Twitter last week, Lil Nas posted a simple question to detractors of a potential Wiggles team-up. “what’s the problem”, the rapper wrote.
what’s the problem https://t.co/4IpE047QHT
— i am reading all that (@LilNasX) January 7, 2023
It marks the latest development in a collaboration that’s been teased since April 2022, when Lil Nas X tweeted that he was “trying really hard to get The Wiggles to coheadline the tour with me.” The band responded shortly after the rapper’s request with the tweet “ready to wiggle with you.” The following month, The Wiggles were added to the lineup of Falls Festival, seemingly as a direct response to their interactions with the rapper on Twitter.
We’re ready to wiggle with you! 💛💜💙❤️
— The Wiggles (@TheWiggles) April 27, 2022
It comes amid a career resurgence for The Wiggles following their triple j Hottest 100 win for a cover of Tame Impala in January of last year. Speaking of their renewed success in an interview with Happy Mag, The Wiggles bandmate Anthony Field said: “When we won the triple j Hottest 100… we all felt that it was the children who grew up with us basically saying, ‘We still love you guys. You’re a lot of fun.’ And it’s a really nice feeling that two and a half million people voted for that.”
