--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first started to do music, I was…" description: "\"When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what I thought people would want me to do.\" — Lil Nas X" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg" --- # When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what… ![“When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what I thought people would want me to do.” quote by Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg) > “When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what I thought people would want me to do.” [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early artistic work often reflects external expectations rather than authentic desire, limiting creative growth. **In simple terms:** Artists may chase what they think others want. Key Takeaway Seek authentic expression over approval. Themes authenticity creativity self‑discovery Mood reflective determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - performance - branding - collaborations Key Concepts artistic identity social pressure self‑expression Questions to Reflect On - What would you create if no one judged you? - How can you balance audience appeal with personal truth? A Different Perspective External expectations can stifle originality and lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-doing-3514200/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-kind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-music-255345/) ## Related quotes > [I was just kind of doing the math.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/i-was-just-kind-of-doing-the-math/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [I'm not Rastafari... I'm just kind of doing my own thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/i-m-not-rastafari-i-m-just-kind-of-doing-my-own-thing/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [I just kind of go on with what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-larson/i-just-kind-of-go-on-with-what-i-m-doing/) [Jordan Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-larson/) > [You're a musician and you live and die by people responding to your music. It's a business just like anything else and if people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-martel/you-re-a-musician-and-you-live-and-die-by-people-responding-to-your/) [Marc Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-martel/) > [Everything around me is surreal. I get picked up in cars and go to celebrity bashes, and I get sponsorship on clothes, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-david/everything-around-me-is-surreal-i-get-picked-up-in-cars-and-go-to/) [Craig David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-david/) > [It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen. So, thank you guys...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-smith/it-was-only-until-i-started-to-be-myself-that-the-music-started-to/) [Sam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-smith/) > [ Obviously, this is our first album \[Begin\], so this is our first big body of work that's out there in the world and it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-hervey/obviously-this-is-our-first-album-begin-so-this-is-our-first-big-body/) [Jillian Hervey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-hervey/) > [ \[Jack Johnson\] became a superstar and started his own record label, and then he made and produced my first record, he co-wrote the songs… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donavon-frankenreiter/jack-johnson-became-a-superstar-and-started-his-own-record-label-and/) [Donavon Frankenreiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donavon-frankenreiter/) > [I started in music and that's my forte and that's what I've always done and where I'm heading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jencarlos-canela/i-started-in-music-and-that-s-my-forte-and-that-s-what-i-ve-always/) [Jencarlos Canela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jencarlos-canela/) > [I've always been in music. I started out in music, and I will continue to do music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-latimore/i-ve-always-been-in-music-i-started-out-in-music-and-i-will-continue/) [Jacob Latimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-latimore/) > [I started music late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/i-started-music-late/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow & people started to listen so thank you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-smith/it-was-only-until-i-started-to-be-myself-that-the-music-started-to-2/) [Sam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-smith/) > [ That was like the best start I could've had, the best way I could've started in the music scene. I owe \[Jack Johnson\] a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donavon-frankenreiter/that-was-like-the-best-start-i-could-ve-had-the-best-way-i-could-ve/) [Donavon Frankenreiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donavon-frankenreiter/) > [I started out as a music teacher; I never planned on becoming an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/i-started-out-as-a-music-teacher-i-never-planned-on-becoming-an/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [When I started with music, all I was looking for was to ensure I never had to live the life I grew up with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-tillman/when-i-started-with-music-all-i-was-looking-for-was-to-ensure-i-never/) [Josh Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-tillman/) ## More by Lil Nas X > [I want to build to that mogul, legendary level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-want-to-build-to-that-mogul-legendary-level/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I feel like Drake is doing exactly what I plan on doing, just being sick for all of, what, a decade now? And just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-feel-like-drake-is-doing-exactly-what-i-plan-on-doing-just-being/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I run a meme type of account on Twitter; I know what my audience is looking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-run-a-meme-type-of-account-on-twitter-i-know-what-my-audience-is/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [And whenever I do step away from the Internet or the music too long, it's like I have to slowly get back into myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/and-whenever-i-do-step-away-from-the-internet-or-the-music-too-long/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I have my name, and I have a growing fan base, so I'm gonna do whatever I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-have-my-name-and-i-have-a-growing-fan-base-so-i-m-gonna-do-whatever/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [Twitter can make a lot of things happen if you get enough retweets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/twitter-can-make-a-lot-of-things-happen-if-you-get-enough-retweets/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [TikTok helped me change my life. TikTok brought my song to several different audiences at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/tiktok-helped-me-change-my-life-tiktok-brought-my-song-to-several/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I just liked making funny videos, content that people would enjoy. The likes and retweets - that was, like, a plus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-just-liked-making-funny-videos-content-that-people-would-enjoy-the/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [Live your life to its fullest potential and don't really care too much about what other people think of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/live-your-life-to-its-fullest-potential-and-don-t-really-care-too/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [Growing up, I always liked so many different sounds from so many different genres - the different aspects they could bring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/growing-up-i-always-liked-so-many-different-sounds-from-so-many/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I was doing good in school, but I didn't want to do school anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-was-doing-good-in-school-but-i-didn-t-want-to-do-school-anymore/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I was doing Facebook comedy videos; then I moved over to Instagram, and then I hopped on Twitter. That is where I really was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-was-doing-facebook-comedy-videos-then-i-moved-over-to-instagram-and/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [You step away from the public eye for too long, they don't care no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/you-step-away-from-the-public-eye-for-too-long-they-don-t-care-no-more/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [People come in because they like 'Old Town Road.' They'll find out that I'm just not going to stick to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/people-come-in-because-they-like-old-town-road-they-ll-find-out-that/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) > [I had it just Lil Nas at first because every rapper has a 'lil' in front of his name, and that's funny to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/i-had-it-just-lil-nas-at-first-because-every-rapper-has-a-lil-in/) [Lil Nas X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) [Explore all 45 Lil Nas X quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what I thought people would want me to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lil Nas X" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-kind-of-doing-what-i-thought/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-kind-of-doing-what-i-thought/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/lil-nas-x-14914_doing_when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-k_2000038.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I first started to do music, I was kind of doing what I thought people would want me to do.” — Lil Nas X", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lil Nas X", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-nas-x/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I first started to do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-kind-of-doing-what-i-thought/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-nas-x/when-i-first-started-to-do-music-i-was-kind-of-doing-what-i-thought/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```