“Old Town Road” — A Tale of Race, Wit & Forget

Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. (Image Credit: igorrr-music.com)

“To the medieval mind the possibility of doubt did not exist.” — William Manchester

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” first gained traction in late December of last year after it became popular on TikTok, an app that allows users to make video clips set to music. From there the song soon became a viral hit, making its way to Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube before appearing on streaming platforms such as SoundCloud, Apple Music, and Spotify. What presumably made “Old Town Road” attractive to listeners was its unorthodox blend of bass drums and high-hats — resembling trap music compositions — with banjo strums and rural imagery. Lil Nas X, who continuously listed “Old Town Road” as a country record, was not signed to a record label during his song’s ascension. This prompted radio stations to rip the song straight off YouTube, hoping to capitalize on its popularity.

Listen to “Old Town Road” below:

Dark Horse

With social media, music streaming services, and radio supporting the viral sensation, it eventually hit Billboard’s charts…