Lil Nas X is poised to release his new track, “J Christ,” on Friday (Jan. 12). Potentially from his upcoming sophomore album, the recently announced cover art depicted the rapper as Jesus Christ on the cross.

The artist captioned the accompanying Instagram post, “My new single is dedicated to the man who had the greatest comeback of all time.”

In the comment section, one fan wrote, “I swear his marketing strategy is just to make everyone hate him once a year. Someone protect this man from the avalanche this is about to kick off.” Another added, “This is going to piss off a lot of people.”

However, not all reactions were positive. Underneath The Neighborhood Talk’s reshare, one user lambasted Nas X for mocking Christianity: “The way y’all play with God is insane.” Elsewhere, someone said, “I understand art. I truly do, but I’ll never understand playing with someone’s religion.”

Previously, Nas X had hinted at a new “Christian era” in his music. A November 2023 teaser on Twitter showed him dancing in the street, wearing a shirt with a religious message and singing about calling on angels and facing pain. The new direction followed a controversial period highlighted by the artist’s Satan Shoes and “MONTERO (Call Me By My Name)” video.

“Y’all see everything I do as a gimmick. When in reality, I’m just an artist expressing myself in different ways,” he said in response to last year’s backlash. “Whether I’m a cowboy, gay, satanic or now Christian, y’all find a problem! Y’all don’t police nobody else’s art like mine. Y’all hate me because I’m fun, cute and petite.”

In 2021, Nas X put out MONTERO. The 15-track LP featured Megan Thee Stallion, Elton Jon, Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat and more. It boasted songs like “INDUSTRY BABY,” “THATS WHAT I WANT” and “SCOOP.”