Lil Nas X is More Than a Meme

Everyone knows the lyrics: “I got the horses in the back, yuh.” "Old Town Road" has become a cultural giant—not just for its lyrics, but also because of the conversation it has sparked. Labeled as “country rap,” the song debuted on Billboard under the Hot Country chart, the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. It is no wonder that it has been described as “genre-bending.” However, soon after the songs release, “Old Town Road” was removed from the Hot Country chart. The song allegedly lacks fundamental elements of country music. 

This argument is inherently incorrect. Genres are constantly evolving; they are not defined by whether or not songs adhere to ambiguous structure and content guidelines. In order for change, the envelope must be pushed to prompt people to rethink their perspective. Ultimately, "Old Town Road" is an example of how Billboard has fallen victim to a fixed mindset when it comes to songs, which is dangerous as modern songwriters and singers are creating songs in new and innovative ways.

Last year, Jason Derulo, collaborating with French DJ David Guetta, American rapper Nicki Minaj, and French singer Willy William, released a song called "Goodbye," which features elements of the famous opera "Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro).” Additionally, Kacey Musgraves, a traditionally country artist, has also created songs featured on Billboard's pop charts, namely "High Horse" on Adult Top 40 and "Rainbow" on Adult Contemporary. In fact, "Rainbow" peaked at sixteenth on the chart. Yet, the exclusion of “Old Town Road” throws Billboard’s decision into a new light.

Billboard actually has a history of dividing songs based upon the racial identity of the singer (R&B was originally called "race music.")—Musgraves is white. Danny Kang, the co-manager of the internet-famous yodeling cowboy kid Mason Ramsey, said that "[Old Town Road] is a hip-hop song." Hip-hop is a primarily black-dominated genre. The question begs, did Lil Nas X's African-American identity factor into Billboard's decision to take "Old Town Road" off the charts?

Billboard does not determine what constitutes a genre. Taking "Old Town Road" off the charts shows Billboard's backward decision-making. Lil Nas X has every right to be on that chart, and since Billboard didn't do anything with Kasey Musgraves, they owe it to Lil Nas X to make sure he is treated fairly. It's not just Billboard, however. Country music as a whole is reluctant to accept black recording artists into the genre. In 2016, Beyonce submitted "Daddy Lessons" to the Grammy country music committee. Despite performing the song alongside the Dixie Chicks that same year, the committee decided to deny her submission—a decision made all the more confusing when Beyonce’s “Don’t Hurt Yourself” was nominated that same year for a rock award.

Genres like country are commonly misconstrued to be for white singers, but this type of thinking is far from the truth. Genre is determined by the songs of the era, and if there is cross-genre interaction, then the music industry should welcome it as a sign of change. Modern singers are blurring the lines between conventional songs and innovation, but the stories of artists like Lil Nas X and Beyonce only highlight how much change there is still yet to enact if everyone is to be given their deserved fair chance.