"I wanna be myself more than ever this era," Lil Nas X, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I want to be completely free out there, only doing the things that I wanna do. If I do not w

In 2019, Lil Nas X was everywhere. In 2021, he was still pretty big. Since then, his luck hasn’t been quite as solid, but the “Old Town Road” singer returned this week with not one but two singles (so far) to help christen whatever era is coming next.

Lil Nas X has been on a tear lately. Since November, the rapper has dropped a series of songs, beginning with the dance-y “Light Again,” and the propulsive “Need Dat Boy” in late 2024. Then, this month he’s kicked things up a notch with a string of single releases in the lead-up to the as-yet-unscheduled release of Dreamboy LP,