New Lil Nas X song promo featuring imagery of rapper as Jesus dubbed 'demonic,' 'blasphemous'

Social media users attacked what they considered to be a "demonic" new preview for rapper Lil Nas X’s upcoming single "J Christ."

The rapper dropped an image for the song that features him as Jesus Christ on the cross while a group pulls it into place. He also attached a GIF of himself as Jesus on a golden cross that transforms into a kind of angelic armor around him.

"MY NEW SINGLE IS DEDICATED TO THE MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME! J CHRIST JANUARY 12, 2024 00:00 EST BE THERE!" Lil Nas X wrote on X Monday.

Though the rapper argued that the song is "dedicated" to Christ, other rappers and commentators expressed doubt that the ordinarily controversial LGBTQ performer suddenly found Jesus.

A promotional image for Lil Nas X's upcoming single "J Christ" features the rapper as Jesus Christ. ((Photo by John Nacion/WireImage))

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"Oh gee whiz I’m sure this won’t be as blasphemous as possible," conservative author Rachel Wilson wrote.

Influencer Oli London noted, "Singer @LilNasX MOCKS Jesus in a teaser for his new single ‘J Christ’ as he appears in underwear and silver boots in a video clip posted to his X. The singer has previously courted outrage for promoting Satanic practices including selling sneakers containing human blood."

"This is demonic," rapper Bryson Gray responded.

Online sports commentator Aaron Cikaya commented, "Thank God I got this lil nas x guy muted and blocked everywhere. It’s only bcs someone DM’d me that I saw it. It’s always Christianity they wanna mock. These man do their nonsense in plain sight now. And listeners will swear on their lives that it’s only ‘art’. Makes me sick…"

"Lil Nas x releasing single ‘J Christ’ mocking Jesus and Christians," Christian rapper Kory Yeshua wrote on X with a TikTok video deconstructing the images.

"People will defend this because they worship these celebrities. They have made idols out of these celebrities. People need to realize there is a spiritual war happening between the light and the dark, between good and evil," Yeshua said.

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Lil Nas X pushed back against the critics, insisting that the image is not a mockery of Jesus.

"the crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus. Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of sh-t. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. Stfu," he wrote.

Lil Nas X attends the "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero" premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 09, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario.  (Leon Bennett/WireImage)

Lil Nas X has been promoting what he's referred to as his "Christian era" of music on social media. In November, he released a video of himself singing about calling on angels while wearing a shirt reading "If God doesn’t exist, then who’s laughing at us?"

However, a preview for "J Christ" included lyrics that reportedly say, "Which way that we going? Hm, this way/Took them to the telling and I told 'em it's a dizzy/Turn up, baby, we gon' have to check out at like 6-8/Really it's that easy, but your Uber on the wizzay/Back-back-back up out the gravеsite, b-tch I'm back like J. Christ/I'm finna get thе gays hype, I'm finna take it ye high."

The chorus also appeared to allude to his own controversy, saying, "Is he up to something? Only I-I know/Is he 'bout to hit 'em with the high-igh note?/Is he 'bout to give 'em somethin' vi-iral?/Is he 'bout to hit 'em with the high-igh note?"

Lil Nas X pushed shoes that featured satanic imagery and a drop of real human blood. (MSCHF )

Lil Nas X came under fire in 2021 for pushing satanic imagery in his music and merchandise. In the music video for his song "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," the rapper was dressed provocatively, pole dancing and giving Satan a lap dance in Hell. He also pushed a line of Satan-themed sneakers that featured a pentagram and inverted cross and boasted about having a drop of real human blood.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.