Lil Nas X turned up the heat Friday night (December 10) at iHeartRadio Jingle Ball presented by Capital One. The winter season music show returned to the famed Madison Square Garden delivering sonic cheer to a crowd of fans.

Before the "That's What I Want" rapper took the stage, he stopped by the Mercedes-Benz Interview Lounge where he dished on some of the thoughts he had as a kid.

"You know it's hilarious, my entire childhood I thought Madison Square Garden was an actual huge garden with beautiful flowers and tress," the chart-topping artist revealed.

"But, this is very nice," he added, looking around the famed NYC arena.

Decked out in an all-winter white suit, topped with a fuzzy winter hat, the "Industry Baby" rapper said he felt "excited" ahead of his performance.

2021, he said, "has been an absolute fun ride," adding that "it's had its ups and downs; it's had its really scary moments" –– including when he dropped the widely-discussed music video for his hit "Call Me By Your Name."

"The thing I've loved most about this year is that I've had to jump into many lakes that I've thought, 'Ok, maybe this lake could have a shark in it,' but I had to do it to further myself," he said. "And I'm proud of that."

In terms of the upcoming year, Lil Nas said fans can expect "another amazing year."

Check out more with Lil Nas X from backstage at Jingle Ball below.

iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball

Mercedes-Benz Interview Lounge