It started with the original, in 2018.
But really, it didn’t. It started in 2019, following the addition of Billy Ray Cyrus. However, without the original release in 2018, this bizarre cross-genre craze wouldn’t have happened. A couple of strums on an amplified acoustic guitar, a few wails – echoed and auto tuned – before the chorus struts in and captures the heart of every sucker in town. The Bounty Hunters stop hunting. Those being hunted by the Bounty Hunters hand themselves in. The Sheriff is stood around, laughing. All is at peace. Everybody’s brought together by this odd musical arrangement. Unless you’re a boring bastard who thinks it’s cool to hate all things popular.
Lil Nas strutted into 2019 a near-nobody. He’s leaving a hero. 2019 was Lil Nas X’s year, and we were just gleeful spectators, enjoying every twist, turn and yee-haw that came from the underdog.
Out of nowhere, this ray of country-hip-hop sunshine came blazing through, offering an element of hope that the world wasn’t about to end. It’s a combination that sounds as weird as a Chinese with chips, but Lil Nas’ strange science experiment led to the creation of 2019’s humongous hit, and one of the most popular songs of the decade. It certainly ain’t no Fiat 500 catastrophe.
Ultimately, ‘Old Town Road’ is hideous. Billie Ray Cyrus’ drawl is auto-tuned to fuck and it makes no sense whatsoever. It’s a typical chart-song, with a lack of substance and a half-decent hook. It’s a song a child probably could’ve produced, lyrically speaking anyway. “I got the horses in the back / Horse tack is attached / Hat is matte black / Got the boots that’s black to match.”
Or is it? Is it that lyrically simplistic? Simple answer: yes it fuckin’ is. Think about it a little more though, and the simplicity is the key to its success. Everybody can sing along to it in a faux Southern accent and the chorus is actually an act of defiance. In a world increasingly ruled by dictators, there’s something particularly powerful about getting a load of people singing “can’t nobody tell me nothin'” at the top of their lungs. Amongst the daftness, the commercial aspects of the track and the strange listings of various western buzz words, there’s sort-of message. Whether you hate music, whether you’re a music snob, whether you hate country or whether you hate hip hop, you just can’t hate this song. If you say you do, you’re lying. Or you’re one of those traditional country fans who don’t understand what fun is unless it’s a barn dance in the Deep South (apologies for the stereotypes).
Elevated to super-stardom status by the addition of Billy Ray Cyrus – who produced the most Yer Da moment in the history of Yer Da’s, desperate for one last 15 minutes of fame – ‘Old Town Road’ took over. It‘s broken the record for consecutive weeks spent at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and spearheaded an EP that’s been nominated for one of the top Grammy Awards.
And then he went and took the piss. I’ve lost count of how many remixes there are of this song, but the audacity of him to openly ride his one hit wonder has me on my feet applauding. Fair fucking play mate. He even added another genre into the mix, bringing in a different culture, with the final remix of the track – ‘Seoul Town Road’ – featuring one of them K-Pop lot from BTS.
He keeps people smiling with his simple charm, witty banter and self-deprecating humour. He knows he’s riding the wave of this wonder, but boy is he riding it in style – with a pair of leather cowboy boots on, a smart suit and sharp hat. He even knows who Clifford The Big Red Dog is for fucks sake. Maybe 2020 will see another remix?
The guy’s released the same song how many times now? Adding in a different artist to inflate the streaming stats and maintain his grip on the top of the charts – until Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’ decided enough was enough. But even then, he responded graciously, because that’s what Lil Nas is. He’s the nice guy in music. The popular kid in class. Everybody loves him, only the idiots loathe him. The guy’s done a thread teaching you how to make a roasted chicken! C’mon… You can’t not love him.
He may disappear into the abyss in 2020. We may never hear his name again. We may never see a genre-crossover craze quite like this one ever again. His chart-topping record may stand for as long as we live. Of course, he may prove to be more than just a one-hit wonder. Maybe. Either way, 2019 saw a gay black man take a traditionally homophonic and racist genre and spearhead it into the mainstream, to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, to a mega crowd at Glastonbury. He did that. If he disappears, the music world hasn’t exactly lost a great. But it will have lost a character. Lil Nas X owned 2019, in more ways the one. It’s nice to see the Lil guy win for once.
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