“Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” was released Saturday, Jan. 27 on HBO, which follows rapper and songwriter Montero Lamar Hill on his first tour. It focuses on his fast rise to fame, his family and his sexuality. Most of all it talks about self-acceptance and self-love. The documentary was beautifully filmed and edited — and while it only shows a hint of the life of Lil Nas X,  the footage reveals a lot about him and how he feels about himself.

A lot can be learned from his bravery and acceptance. His first song “Old Town Road” blew up immediately, throwing him into stardom maybe too soon. He talks about his hesitation in coming out and after the fact, addresses his hesitation in being proud and showing his true self; or as many put it, “throwing it in their face.” It’s one thing to come out to the whole world just as you’re getting big, but it’s another to keep reminding them. While the rapper may have been uncertain of doing so at the time, we see that he knows how impactful this decision has been. He has inspired so many people to be themselves, no matter who they are. This same message is promoted in this documentary where he discusses in further detail his own struggles with his identity but focuses more on overcoming his fears.

As someone who loves his music and his bravery in passing, seeing this documentary really helped solidify my love for him, as I’m sure it will for all of his other fans. His story overall is incredibly inspiring and I imagine a documentary about him could be three times as long as this one which clocks in at just under two hours. I really enjoyed seeing parts of his shows as someone who did not attend his tour, though I feel I’ve missed out. The documentary made it look like a blast and did a wonderful job of showing how incredible Lil Nas X’s tour performances were. Viewers see the stress involved in doing the shows he does, as well as the joy and success. Hearing his songs as well as getting to see the incredibly choreographed dances and outfits was amazing. For moments throughout the film I felt like I was really there at his show, singing and dancing along. Viewers can learn a lot about the artist, their music and their life.

I really enjoy documentaries of musicians’ tours. Not only can you hear them tell their perspective and see them behind the stage, but you also get to hear their songs that you love so much. Montero has a very inspiring story that he was more easily able to tell to his fans in film format. The great cinematography and music also made the entire documentary very enjoyable and worth watching. Montero included a lot of personal information that is relevant to him as a person, his career and his music. He also pushed the message that he tries to push through his music: love and acceptance are key, and don’t let fear stop you from doing what you love or being yourself.

While some musicians’ documentaries seem like narcissistic films about getting rich and learning nothing other than that they’re better than everyone else, this one had a clear message throughout which I liked. Montero talks about things he’s learned not as though he’s better than all of us because he’s famous, but as someone who has experienced a lot and has been forced to make hard decisions at a younger age than most.