Gone Country

Rap artist Lil Nas X did a funny thing.  He wrote and recorded a hip-hop song that not only went viral, it soon landed on several Billboard Charts, including the Hot Country Song chart.

The single debuted at number nineteen on the country chart.

The song, Old Town Road, is definitely not your grandmother’s country music.   The producer called the song “country trap.”  Lil Nas X’s label called the song a “country-inspired rap track.”

As Old Town Road began to chart slightly higher, some people on the “industry” side on country music became a little nervous.  In late March, Billboard quietly removed Lil Nas X’s from the country chart.  The song, they explained to his label was “not country enough.”

I must admit, I have no firm grip on country music.  I am not a regular listener.  I do know country music has been drifting toward pop music in recent years.  If it drifted far enough to fall into hip-hop…well, I guess that would be fine.  And Billboard yanking Lil Nas X from the country chart has done little to slow the rise of Old Town Road.    

Just the other day Billy Rae Cyrus stepped into the music studio to record a new release of Old Town Road with Lil Nas X.  As of this writing Lil Nas X and Billy Rae Cyrus are number one on the iTunes country chart.  Blake Shelton rests in the number two slot.

I have posted the new version of Old Town Road.  I must admit, I rather like this mix.

—Mitchell Hegman

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ysFgElQtjI