Lil Nas X reveals that his mystery ex is That's What I Want music video co-star Yai Ariza

Lil Nas X has revealed the identity of his mystery ex-boyfriend days after confirming that he is now single.

During an interview on SiriusXM’s Hits 1 LA with hosts Tony Fly and Symon, the 22-year-old rapper responded to rumors that he had been in a relationship with his That’s What I Want music video co-star Yai Ariza.

‘We were dating, and we are still on very good terms,’ he told the hosts on Thursday.

‘You know, we may date again, I’m sure,’ Nas added.

The Old Town Road hitmaker explained that he had initiated the breakup since he wanted to concentrate on his career. ‘I love him; he is amazing,’ he said. ‘I wanted to kind of focus on my music right now.’ 

Nas said that the Colombian-born actor and dancer was ‘literally the best person that I’ve ever dated.’

‘Your eyes look like you are in love,’ Symon observed. 

‘I am still very much in love, but I’m trying to manage, you know?’ Nas replied.

The Georgia native again acknowledged that he would not rule out the possibility of reconciling with Ariza.

‘If it’s meant, it’ll happen in the future, you know,’ he remarked.

‘Life is long,’ Fly said. ‘Yeah, life is long,’ Nas agreed.

On September 17, Nas finally ‘gave birth’ to his highly anticipated album highly-anticipated debut album Montero and simultaneously premiered the music video for the album’s lead single That’s What I Want.

The music video starred Nas and Yai and featured an incredibly racy sex scene between the now exes inside a locker room. 

At the beginning of the video, Nas was seen clad in pink football gear as he fell onto a football field. Later in the locker room, he was approached by a football player who caught his eye. 

The two then engaged in a passionate display as they kissed and took each other’s clothes off, moving from the locker room into the showers. Lil Nas X opened a Durex condom with his teeth as Yai pushed him against the glass door of the shower.  

The pair later took things to a steamy level in a tent while at a camping in an homage to Brokeback Mountain.

However, in another callback to the movie, the Industry Baby singer was left devastated after discovering that his lover had a wife and child.

The video also included a surprise cameo from Billy Porter.  

On September 18, Ariza shared photos from the shoot including a shot in which he and Nas are seen standing side by side as they smiled widely.

‘Feeling very grateful, thank you mi gente for all the love and good energy, this is bigger then me , this is changing lives and I love being part of the change 

I’m so proud of you , proud of me , proud of us @lilnasx,’ he wrote in the caption.       

A little over a month ago, Nas confirmed that he was in a relationship with someone who he said could be ‘the one,’ though he did not disclose his boyfriend’s identity.

He revealed on Wednesday’s episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live that he was once again single.

‘I don’t think I want any guy right now,’ he admitted.

During their chat, Andy quizzed Nas about his boyfriend, whom he had gushed about in a Variety profile from August.

‘I’ve found someone special now,’ he said at the time. ‘I think this is the one. I can’t explain it — it’s just a feeling.’

But the rapper seemed bashful as he admitted the relationship had come to an end.

‘I was seeing someone,’ he said, emphasizing the past tense. ‘Um, I kind of decided I didn’t want to anymore.’

Cohen assumed he wouldn’t be single long, as there were likely ‘thousands of people applying for the job of Lil Nas X’s boyfriend.’

‘There are definitely a couple of people for sure. A couple of people out there,’ he said.

‘What kind of guy are you looking for?’ Cohen continued.

‘What kind of guy is going to make you happy? Do you want someone in the business, out of the business? You want a banker, an architect, a dancer?’ 

But Nas wasn’t rushing to get back into a relationship, even though he worried that might affect the playfully sexual image he’s cultivated while rolling out his latest chart topper.

‘I don’t want to ruin anybody’s perception of this song, but I don’t think I want any guy right now,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’m floating around right now. I just want to work on music and every now and then, you know, maybe I’ll kiss a guy, every blue moon, you know.’

After Cohen asked Nas if he got to meet any of his idols at the Met Gala earlier this month, he gushed about meeting up with the singer Frank Ocean. 

‘I feel like I’ve met so many great people, but definitely Frank Ocean is top of my list because for one, you know, he represents a lot to me and you’d never see Frank Ocean anywhere,’ he said

‘Like, he’s one of those people that are not real, you know?’ he joked, referencing the singer’s reclusive reputation.

Nas confirmed that the two met for the first time in person at the Met, though they had had some interactions on social media prior to then.

During their brief conversation, the two artists got into a war of compliments.

‘We just like, um, he was like, you know, you know, giving props and congratulations and whatnot. And I was just saying the same thing to him,’ he shared. ‘And just like how much, like his music has shaped my life and whatnot…’

Nas added that he suggested a collaboration to the Super Rich Kids singer.

During their chat, Cohen shared that he was a fan of Lil Nas X’s cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, which he performed for BBC Radio One last week. 

‘I also loved your cover of Jolene that you did for BBC and you once again just totally just turned everything on its side because the song is normally sung by a woman,’ the Bravo fixture said. ‘And hearing you hearing you sing about, ‘please don’t take my man,’ it just obviously took on a totally different meaning.’

According to Nas, he was originally set to perform a Nirvana tune before a new inspiration struck him.

‘We were kind of goofing around and you know, like doing Jolene, it was like, ‘Wait a minute. What if we actually did Jolene?” he recalled. 

‘And I feel like, you know, the context to it, like completely changes as you just said, I was like, ‘Oh, that’d be really cool.’ So, you know, I went for it.’

He added that his ‘history’ with country music made the cover even more appropriate, referencing his hit single Old Town Road.

Although Parton didn’t get in touch with Nas after the cover was released, someone close to her suggested she was a fan.

‘I don’t think I’ve heard from her, but I think someone, I don’t remember who told me, I think somebody said that she loves it,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure if that was accurate or whatnot, but haven’t heard from her personally.’