Lil Nas X, World’s Greatest! → Song Review

Grammy winner Lil Nas X returns with smiles and positive vibes on his confident and exuberant pop single, “World’s Greatest!”

[nx_pullquote]“You in Dreamworld and you listenin’ to DREAMBOY.”[/nx_pullquote] Noted, Lil Nas X (Montero Hill)! The Grammy winner has faced adversity, but he is locked in on his confident single, “World’s Greatest!” It’s giving “Ooh (la-la-la-la-la)!” Lil Nas X wrote “World’s Greatest!” Steve Rusch and C.WRAY produced it. Notably, the music video is dedicated to his late mom, Tameka Hill.

“World’s Greatest!” is about positive vibes.  The pop is popping in a major key with rhythmic guitars and a bouncy syncopated beat. Lil Nas X’s vocals are exuberant – no negativity! His vocals remind me of André 3000 (“Hey Ya!” comes to mind). In the first verse, he sings, “Yeah, I got this walk from Atlanta / I got this talk from mammy, yeah / If they knock me down, I’m standin’ up.”  In the second verse, he talks about his come-up: “I was sad at the bottom, I was S-A-D / Now I’m bad, everybody wanna flick up with me /… Now everybody from my town played the songs on repeat.” In the chorus, he keeps it simple and asserts, “I’m a champion (woah-woah).”  In the third verse, which features some reggae vibes, he lets loose, including, “Mm, boy, put it on me now /…Tell me, I’m the realest from the ‘Old Town’,” and “When you see me out here makin’ waves in the ocean (Ooh) / Know I put in work for this motherfuckin’ motion.” Yes, the mf-bomb earns “World’s Greatest!” its explicit designation. All told, “World’s Greatest!” is enjoyable and seems to find Lil Nas X in a better place.  This song benefits from being catchy, tuneful, positive, and, honestly, lacking controversy.