Lil Nas X may have taken a stripper pole to hell in his music video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” but his all-white ensemble for the 2022 Grammys red carpet was a purely angelic look. It is already becoming one of most talked about outfits of the night, propelling him onto best-dressed lists across the internet.
The rapper and singer is nominated for five awards tonight, including “Song of the Year” and “Album of the Year,” and he arrived for the occasion suited up in pearls and diamonds.
The custom Balmain suit is quilted, high-collared and embroidered with butterflies, recalling his other dramatic armor-inspired looks from the Met Gala last year (he transformed into three different outfits for that event). Along with the suit, he wore towering platform shoes and a touch of light-blue eyeshadow.
Ahead of the show, Lil Nas X teased his followers on Twitter with an old photo of himself in a printed long-sleeve top and belted bright orange pants, saying he had arrived to the red carpet and “he looks absolutely stunning.”
The 22-year-old performer already has two Grammys under his belt for his breakout song “Old Town Road,” and tonight he hopes to add more for his highly talked-about debut album. Ahead of the ceremony, he joked on Twitter, saying, “If i don’t leave with grammys tomorrow i will be formally turning in my resignation letter to the illuminati.”
During the awards ceremony, Lil Nas X took to the stage to perform a medley of songs including one with Jack Harlow, changing into several bold looks. He wore a gem-encrusted one-sleeve cropped top, which writer Meecham Whitson Meriweather called his “Dangerously in Love Album cover moment,” in reference to Beyoncé’s 2003 album cover.
But he also appeared to pay tribute to Michael Jackson in another outfit that resembled the late pop star’s iconic style, with a suit jacket embellished with silver shoulder pads and elaborate detailing.
