Lil Nas X Enters His Dreamboy Era in 'HOTBOX' Music Video

Production Company Durable Goods and executive producer Jeremy Nachbar recently partnered to produce the music video for Lil Nas X’s 'HOTBOX,' the lead single from the Columbia recording artist’s forthcoming DREAMBOY project. Directed by Elias Talbot, the video marks a pivotal moment in Nas’ new DREAMBOY era - a creative chapter infused with joy, self-affirmation, and unapologetically taking up space as the most confident, buoyant, and carefree iteration of himself.

'HOTBOX' is a departure from Nas’ high-concept, VFX-driven videos of the past ('MONTERO'). Instead, the video takes a minimalist aesthetic through a series of pink infused vignettes of Lil Nas X playing in the pool, boxing, and rapping with his head in a fish bowl.

“Nas is such a captivating performer, so our concept was about drawing the viewer closer to his playful personality and energetic performances in a way that hasn't been captured before,” explains Elias. “He’s a true artist who is all about leaving a legacy. And that’s what’s so cool about collaborating with him. While most artists rely on creatives to build their worlds, he takes ownership in the process.”

Achieved almost entirely in-camera, the ambitious production features stunning practical effects and cutting-edge chemistry. Elias and Jeremy enlisted a team of set designers, prop makers, and costume designers to create a myriad of pink-washed props and set pieces for Nas to interact with - all infused with a range of textures. All of the wardrobe was immaculately designed and sourced by artists and brands from Paris to London to New York,” explains Jeremy.

Among the most memorable set pieces in the video is a pool filled with pink water - Nas’ nod to Nicki Minaj's Super Bass video. The production design team built it on a soundstage and hired a chemist to colour the water practically.

“Our chemist was like a mad scientist,” says Elias. “He matched the ‘HOTBOX’ pink perfectly while preserving the water's natural glimmer. Everything in the set monitor basically looked like you see it in the final video, which was amazing, but our colourist, Matt Osborne, did his magic unifying it into the ‘HOTBOX’ world.”

Other custom-fabricated pieces for the video included a massive 40 x 50-foot speaker wall and a boxing ring lined with fur ropes matching Nas' dramatically flared pink fur pants.

Production for 'HOTBOX' took place on a soundstage in Villness, Lithuania, with Durable Goods bringing on talent from Tantor Films.

“I was blown away by the level of professionalism and expertise from our entire crew,” says Jeremy. “Everyone brought something to the table and our ideas wove together seamlessly.”

“This was the smoothest set I’ve ever been on - easy and stress-free, thanks to Jeremy and the Durable Goods crew,” adds Elias. “They were truly the backbone of this project, managing the complex logistics of an international production while ensuring everyone was taken care of while staying on budget.”

“I was thrilled to support Elias' vision on this project,” concludes Jeremy. “Having come up in the industry together, we understand there's a right way to approach the production business - it’s about maximising creativity and quality without cutting corners.”