Who Is XNDA?: Why Lewis Hamilton Adopted a Pseudonym for Himself

Arguably the most successful F1 driver, Lewis Hamilton has made quite a name for himself. It is not just his skills on the track that have brought him fame though. A hit among A-list celebrities and known for his chic fashion sense, Hamilton has made a name in the entertainment world as well. However, there is one walk of life where he rather likes to enjoy his anonymity. That space is the music industry and the name he likes to go by is XNDA.

Sadly, the pseudonym failed to serve its purpose as Hamilton’s fanbase put two and two together to expose his identity. But why would he want a pseudonym in the first place?

For a man who openly flaunts his life and talents in the open, it is rather unusual. Despite fans decoding his identity, Hamilton chose to hold peace. It was after two years that he came out and gave his reasons.

Through Instagram in 2020, Hamilton wrote, “The goal was to have the music come out under a different name so that you could hear the music first and later know it was me but it didn’t work out the way I’d planned. I shied away from acknowledging it was me. I don’t know why. Maybe insecurities, fear, overthinking, something I think many people can relate to.” He added, “Well I want to say that XNDA is me.”

Before this, Hamilton cheekily denied the identity in a Sky Sports interview with a young fan. Hamilton used the pseudonym for a Christina Aguilera song he featured in called Pipe. Ever since then, he has hinted at the making of an album but years have passed since then and fans have had no choice but to wait.

Lewis Hamilton is also keen on making a name in Hollywood

One of the biggest regrets Lewis Hamilton holds to this day is rejecting a role opposite Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. That, however, only enraged his hunger to make a name in Hollywood.

The Mercedes ace is currently working on a passion project that stars Brad Pitt. And what better theme to choose than Formula 1? Sadly, Hamilton is involved only in the capacity of a co-producer and not an actor.

The movie is still in its filming stages but F1 fans got an early sneak peak of what’s to come. Starting from the 2023 British GP at Silverstone, the Brad Pitt-starrer shot some on-track scenes with a couple more races subsequently serving as the set for the $140 million movie.

The team filmed before the Grand Prix took place, making the most of the actual race conditions. All this happened under the seven-time champion’s supervision, who, in collaboration with Mercedes, arranged for the race cars for the movie.

Not only has this given the production team a great opportunity but also created a buzz among fans. To top that, Hamilton made a tall promise when he met Tim Cook and Brad Pitt at COTA in 2022.

He said, “I have such high hopes for it. I know we’re going to make the best racing movie that’s ever existed, both visually and we’re going to work on making sure we pull on the heartstrings of all those fans.”

The production side of things seems to have caught his keen eye. Following his instinct, Hamilton has started a production company of his own called Dawn Apollo Films. Hence, clearly, he has no intention of stopping with just one movie.

Share this article

• Brad Pitt
• Christina Aguilera
• Lewis Hamilton
• Tom Cruise