Old Town Road: A Song by Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus

by Chris Molanphy

In Old Town Road , Chris Molanphy considers Lil Nas X’s debut single as pop artifact, chart phenomenon, and cultural watershed. “Old Town Road” was more than a massive hit, with the most weeks at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history. It is also a prism through which to track the evolution of popular music consumption and the ways race influences how the music industry categorizes songs and artists. By both lionizing and satirizing genre tropes—it’s a country song built from an alternative rock sample, a hip-hop song in which nobody raps, a comical song that transcends novelty, and a queer anthem—Lil Nas X troubles the very idea of genre. Ultimately, Molanphy shows how “Old Town Road” channeled decades of Americana to point the way toward our cultural future.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2023

Reviews

[Liam Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Molanphy, creator of the excellent podcast Hit Parade, breaks down the phenomenon of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” which broke the record for weeks at Number One, became the center of a genre controversy, and spawned a million memes. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been six years since the internet savvy 19-year-old Montero Lamar Hill shared “Old Town Road” with the world.

Molanphy’s book comes at the song from all angles starting with a biography of Hill and how he created the song (starting with samples from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails). Then there’s a history of genres, especially country and R&B, and how they relate to race, and how rap has infiltrated country and vice versa. Molanphy also offers a thumbnail sketch on the history of Billboard charts, including technological changes that made the charts more accurate as well as making it possible for “Old Town Road” to sit at Number One for so long.

It’s particularly interesting that Billboard once determined country and R&B charts based on specific radio stations and record stores, but after internet downloads and streaming became common, this no longer worked. Now Billboard simply decides what genre a song is rather than the fans and their controversial decision that “Old Town Road” is not country fed the songs popularity. Molanphy breaks down Lil Nas X’s dominant 2019 and his ongoing career which far from being a fluke or a one hit wonder has lead to more Number Ones and considerable artistic growth for someone who is still only 25-years-old.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Chris Molanphy writes the most Chris Molanphy book ever. Basically an extended episode of Hit Parade (just listened to part I of the podcast version of this story, in fact) with more theory about what charts v. genres represent and lots and lots of moving parts (Black-country crossover, the history of viral marketing, how chart positions are calculated [a classic feature of his podcast], racial/genre policing around country boundaries, the release of Red Dead Redemption 2--a part of the story I hadn't known). Also, Mariah Carey's generous gesture when Nas passed her for longest run at the top of the charts. Is it more moving parts than we'd usually get? I guess we'll see. I especially enjoyed learning the long genesis of the sound of, and the specific sounds in, this song, which are a microcosm of everything he's talking about--a sound Trent Reznor included late on a series of instrumental albums that a Dutch kid tweaked, and then Nas bought for $30. I have to wonder if he ever tasted a bigger piece of the pie.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Molanphy, creator, writer, and host of the essential Hit Parade podcast, takes a deep dive into the factors that made Lil Nas X's single the longest-charting #1 in Billboard Hot 100 history. Molanphy digs deep into the historical precedents to Lil Nas X, past Country music gatekeeping, and the changing Billboard chart mechanics to put this record-smashing single into context.

[Jennifer Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of this author’s podcast, Hit Parade, and this was kind of like reading an episode, which was just fine with me. His level of research and the way he connects events and musicians and songs is fascinating and impressive. Definitely give this a read!

[Dorian]

A super interesting and informative look into the Lil Nas X hit. It was a quick read that was actually very fun. I learned a lot about the background of Nas and also about the context and history in which the song was released. Would recommend to anyone interested in the subject!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, interesting, and fast-paced, colourful writing. Chris obviously loves and respects music and artists.