Every time Lil Nas X did something that made us scream or cry at ACL Fest

The Colossus of Rhodes.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Lil Nas X.

Only one of these wonders of the world still stands. Even the Great Pyramid of Giza is honestly looking kind of dusty, and it's never even hit No. 1 on Billboard.

"I'm 22, already iconic," Lil Nas X spit on Saturday from Austin City Limits Music Festival's American Express stage. And he's so right. Every ACL Fest for years now, there's been a massive pop idol who's not playing a headline slot but is obviously The Moment. Last year, it was Doja Cat; in recent times, it's also been Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lorde.

In his debut ACL Fest booking, Lil Nas X gave camp, Broadway, comedy, Black queer excellence and S-E-X. He made us scream; he made us cry. It was like that part of "2001: A Space Odyssey" where Dave hurtles through the wormhole, and all of time and space hurtles past his head in streaks of rainbow light. Except this had more abs.

Here's how we felt during the "Montero" takeover.

WE CRIED: Welcome to Montero

As my colleague Deborah Sengupta Stith reported during Weekend 1, Lil Nas X's show is divided into three acts, each marked by a video of a woman prophesying about the journey we would soon witness. And from jump, she was testing us, because she proclaimed that "It's a special thing to be born," and to create yourself. Lil Nas X's work (especially debut album "Montero") is steeped in becoming — what it is to make the world watch as you win with all the ways they'd say would make you lose.

Plus, a pre-show intro telling us that this was a place to be feminine? Emotions, babe.

WE SCREAMED: Britney whomst?

It's this writer's opinion that American pop culture has been begging, wailing, rending its garments and gnashing its teeth for a bona fide male pop idol. Not the Harry Styles kind: Someone who moves sexuality forward, who celebrates sensuality and lays bare the human id in a tight 2-minute-45-second piece of sonic serotonin. And who also can go on our Pride playlists.

Lil Nas X is that brave soldier. He emerged on Saturday in the skin-baring gladiator couture we saw Weekend 1, and made with the Britney Spears-style arm pops on the beat. ("Tales of Dominica" even conjured a little thumping strut a la "If U Seek Amy.")

Opener "Panini" brought enough pelvic thrusts from Nas and his chiseled backup dancers that, if the concussive force were directed in just the right direction, it would keep Texas stocked in barrels of crude for generations.

Hard bodies getting at it on a hyperpop-ish breakdown. We shrieked. The ghost of Janet Leigh would have heard us and said, "Game recognize game."

WE CRIED: 'Play that sad s___,' he said.

I mean, have you really listened to the lyrics of "Sun Goes Down"?

For example: "Since 10, I been feelin' lonely/ Had friends, but they was pickin' on me/ Always thinkin', 'Why my lips so big?/ Was I too dark? Can they sense my fears?'/ These gay thoughts would always haunt me/ I prayed God would take it from me/ It's hard for you when you're fightin'/ And nobody knows it when you're silent."

And then: "I'm happy that it all worked out for me/ Imma make my fans so proud of me."

Kleenex, sponsor the man.

From Weekend 1:Lil Nas X takes ACL Fest on an epic hero's journey

WE SCREAMED: Horse alert!

"Do we think that horse is people?" I asked my friends when a golden steed rolled up. (It was not people; it was just a prop horse.)

But no matter. Lil Nas X, in the first of many costume changes, came out looking like Hank Williams' leather daddy alter ego, flanked by his crew doing a line dance art directed by Tom of Finland.

"Who wants me to make more country music?" he yelled. That's right. Time for "Old Town Road." There was an interpolation of Ginuwine's "Pony"; many grinds were ground that day. Oh, the writhing.

Anyone in a mile radius could hear the screams from the park, and so could some dogs in Williamson County.

WE SCREAMED: Lil Nas X, confirmed Disney gay.

After the floating head lady introduced Act II in full Tina-Turner-as-Auntie-Entity drag, a moody "Dead Right Now" brought us Lil Nas X dressed like a kung-fu-flick priest of R&B. The dancers opted for looks somewhere at the nexus of Missy Eliott in the video for "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and No-Face from "Spirited Away." I full believe these were intentional references.

We didn't stay in the murk for long, because the stage quickly turned into a Sofia Coppola remake of "Cinderella." Full fairy tale, full Versailles, so much more pink than P!nk would be on the same stage two hours later.

"Don't Want It" turned into a ballroom vogue-off set to Prince's guitar intro to "When Doves Cry," which turned into a track-drop of Beyonce's "Pure/Honey." Listen, Lil Nas X is a rapper who's worked multiple Nicki Minaj references into his discography; he pays homage to the ones who came before.

This was a respectful, satisfied scream.

More:Conan Gray’s a Georgetown kid. Austin should claim this prince of pop.

WE SCREAMED BUT UH OH, THEN IT WAS A CRY: Male intimacy? In my ACL? You better.

Hit single "That's What I Want" is nothing short of a revolution as it stands. A double-platinum song that opens with "Need a boy who can cuddle with me all night"? We're here, folks.

The song hit like uncorked Champagne at the fest. You've never seen so many ruffles shimmy in a singalong.

But then Lil Nas X kissed one of the many hunks available on stage. And then, and then, "Lost in the Citadel," a truly dreamy song, made space for onstage cuddling at golden hour. A little tenderness that ends in a backflip? Wish it had never ended.

Scream/cry update: Sort of an ugly howl, with snot and adrenaline battling for supremacy.

WE SCREAMED: Highway to heaven.

The final act was mostly just us flailing around, to be honest. A video skit (starring Nas as a preacher) heralded the smash "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," which let Lil Nas X unlock the Shakira within his hips. He let us know that this performance was the first time he'd ever nailed the choreo: "Congratulations to me!" We stan an equally confident and humble king.

"Down Souf Hoes," "Scoop," then "Industry Baby," a titanic entry into the pop music canon that will probably swirl around any future form of media about the 2020s. (Can't wait for a 2021-set rom-com that sets a montage to "I don't (expletive) bitches, I'm queer.") Nas even threw in a little interpolation of Kanye West's "All of the Lights," a game-setting track that was also one of the last times we could really enjoy Kanye without going "Hm."

A bit before an encore of "Star Walkin'," Lil Nas X said he didn't know when he'd next be in Austin.

"So have the best years of your lives," he said.

Truly, off to a great start already. Now, if only we could stop emitting this high-pitched frequency from deep within. Nas, please let us rest, we're so tired.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lil Nas X made us scream and cry at ACL Fest Weekend 2