Lil Nas X’s fast track to stardom has been an ascension to watch. His first commercial single was a chart-topping smash. He daringly came out at a time when open queerness in Black music was still an anomaly. He gagged a conservative parent or two by straddling Satan in his wickedest boots. But of course, there are pieces of the pop phenom’s private life, born Montero Lamar Hill, that even his most loyal fans don’t know.

In the new HBO concert film and documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, directed by Carlos López Estrada and Zachary Manuel, the two-time Grammy-winner peels back the curtain, sharing more of his journey to accept his queer identity amid struggles with his familial roots. During a screening of the film on Wednesday night at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, Lil Nas X discussed his hopes for Long Live Montero, which arrives on the heels of his polarizing new single “J CHRIST.”

“I’m eager for people to see me just exist as a human being and not just the online troll that I am,” he said. “And just see me interact with the people that are around me that I love so much and shape who I am.”

As for reintroducing himself to fans just after releasing what may be his most trollworthy album rollout yet, Lil Nas X is unashamed about his artistry, even making peace with “J CHRIST” debuting at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I’ll always stand ten toes behind my art. So whatever anybody feels about it, that’s up to them,” he told the GRAMMY Museum audience.

Taking cues from the 1991 documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare, López Estrada added that the filmmakers aimed to keep the rapper’s fans “front and center throughout the movie,” which is largely set on the Montero tour. “Every time we were stuck, we were like, ‘Okay, what would Nas do?’” the co-director said of their approach.

Long Live Montero, which gives a nuanced portrait of Lil Nas X, premieres on HBO January 27. Below are seven things we learn about the pop star in the 90-minute flick.