Lil Nas X Sees 28K Monthly Listener Drop—Is His Spotify Momentum in Trouble?

Once hailed as the boundary-breaking king of internet virality, Lil Nas X seems to be falling off faster than anyone expected—and nobody is talking about it. The artist who once commanded global charts, Grammy stages, and the entire Twitterverse is now nowhere to be seen on Spotify’s Daily Global Top 200, and his monthly listeners have dropped to 19,386,622, down more than 28,000 in a single week. For an artist who once couldn’t tweet without breaking the internet, this silence is deafening.

So what exactly is happening with Lil Nas X?

From Viral Genius to Vanishing Act

It’s hard to forget “Old Town Road,” the overnight phenomenon that reshaped the music industry and launched Lil Nas X into an orbit few artists ever reach. He was TikTok’s golden boy, fashion’s experimental darling, and the industry’s chaos agent—fearlessly controversial, consistently trending.

But fast-forward to June 2025, and a very different picture is emerging. No singles climbing the charts. No surprise drops. No viral videos. No festival headlines. And perhaps most concerning of all: no noise.

For an artist whose brand was built on being larger than life, this sudden invisibility is raising eyebrows.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

According to Spotify’s public data:

Monthly listeners: 19,386,622

Change: -28,523 listeners from the previous week

Global Artist Ranking: #402 (down 1 position)

Spotify Daily Top Artists (06/08): Not in the Top 200

That’s right—Lil Nas X is now completely off the Daily Top 200, a chart that even legacy acts with no new music often manage to cling onto. For context, Baby Keem, Jack Harlow, and even Carly Rae Jepsen still pull stronger streaming consistency globally.

Where’s the Music?

One of the biggest mysteries right now is the complete absence of new music. While artists often take breaks between projects, Lil Nas X’s silence feels uncharacteristic.

His last major release was “J CHRIST”—a controversial track that stirred backlash but didn’t make a sustained impact.

There has been no album announcement.

No collaborations. No leaks. No teasers. Nothing.

And in an era where constant output is the key to relevance, this blackout strategy is looking more like career self-sabotage than creative incubation.

Fans Are Confused. Anti-Fans Are Celebrating.

What’s particularly strange is how quiet the fan fanbase has been. Even the normally aggressive Lil Nas X stans—once responsible for entire TikTok trends and Twitter wars—seem to have vanished with him. Meanwhile, a surprising number of anti-fans and music commentators have started pointing fingers, suggesting that the artist’s downfall is “well-deserved” for reasons ranging from lack of musical growth to overreliance on shock tactics.

One viral tweet (with over 2.6 million views) simply read, “Lil Nas X had the entire world watching… and dropped the ball.”

Ouch.

Branding Over Music?

Some critics argue that Lil Nas X has become more of a celebrity than a musician. His career since Montero has been dominated by

Red carpet stunts

Internet drama

Cryptic tweets

Endorsement deals

But the music—the thing that made him famous—is missing.

In fact, the most-viewed video of him in 2025 is a paparazzi clip of him leaving a fashion event in New York… Not a song, not a performance, not a music video. That’s a worrying sign.

Spotify Punishment or Just Fatigue?

Some fans have floated conspiracy theories that Spotify is suppressing his reach, citing changes to algorithmic playlists and lack of promotion. But Spotify rarely “hides” artists with proven track records unless there’s a serious PR or legal issue—and no such controversy has publicly emerged.

The more likely answer? Streaming fatigue.

It’s possible that the public simply got tired of the constant trolling, unpredictable antics, and infrequent music drops. For every artist, there’s a saturation point—and it seems like Lil Nas X may have hit his.

Meanwhile, the Competition Is Eating

While Lil Nas X disappears, other artists from his era are thriving:

Doja Cat just announced a surprise tour extension.

Olivia Rodrigo is back on top with her acoustic EP.

The Kid LAROI has three songs on the Global Top 200.

Even Saweetie, long considered “over,” has seen a resurgence thanks to a TikTok hit.

In short, there’s no vacuum waiting for Lil Nas X to return. The industry is moving on—with or without him.

No Tour. No Press. No Comeback Plan?

One major red flag: no live shows announced in 2025. Not a single tour date, festival slot, or public concert appearance. Not even rumors.

By this time in past years, Lil Nas X was

Performing at Coachella

Surprising fans with unreleased music

Talking to Zane Lowe or Apple Music

Starting a viral dance trend

This year? Total silence.

So what’s next?

Here are three possible scenarios:

The Comeback Plot

Lil Nas X is a master strategist. Maybe he’s building a comeback campaign that will break the internet. A surprise album? A collab with a major name? A festival hijack? If that’s the case, we could be days away from one of the most chaotic comebacks in pop history.

But the longer he waits, the higher the risk.

The Creative Burnout

Another possibility is that he’s simply exhausted. The past few years have been relentless. The pressure to top viral hits can be soul-crushing. Maybe he’s stepping back on purpose. That would be understandable—but also dangerous in a short-attention-span industry.

The Career Reboot That Never Happens

The darkest theory is that Lil Nas X is experiencing a quiet career collapse—the kind that happens when an artist runs out of ideas, momentum, and audience interest all at once. It’s happened to others before him. The question is, will he catch it in time?

Public Curiosity Is Turning into Skepticism

What used to be intrigue has now become indifference. In Facebook groups, fan forums, and Reddit threads, the most common sentiment about Lil Nas X is no longer “What will he do next?” but “Why should we still care?”

That shift is subtle—but deadly. Once curiosity dies, relevance follows.

Final Thoughts: Has the Magic Worn Off?

Lil Nas X is still young. Still talented. Still wildly influential. But his recent behavior—or lack thereof—is starting to feel like a warning sign rather than a strategic pause.

In 2021, the world watched him dominate every headline.
In 2022, he pushed creative boundaries.
In 2023, he started disappearing.
By mid-2025, he’s nearly invisible.

Unless something massive changes soon, we may be witnessing one of the most unexpected falls from grace in modern pop—not with a bang, but with a quiet fade into the feed.