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

by Chris Molanphy

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781478025511
Publisher:	Duke University Press
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Series:	Singles
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.33(d)

About the Author

Chris Molanphy is a columnist for Slate and the host of the Hit Parade podcast. He has written for publications including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, New York Magazine, NPR Music, the Village Voice, and others. He is author of Kurt Cobain: Voice of a Generation.

Table of Contents

Introduction. BONAFIDE ’til I Can’t No More: “Old Town Road” as the Endpoint of a Century of Genre and Chat Evolution  1
1. WIDE-EYED ’til I Can’t No More: The Maker of “Old Town Road” and the Elements of Its Creation  7
2. HIED ’til I Can’t No More: A Brief History of Country and Race  17
3. FLY ’til I Can’t No More: The Collision and Cross-Pollination of Rap and Country  29
4. REIFIED ’til I Can’t No More: What a No. 1 Hit Meant as the Hot 100 Evolved  41
5. DIVIDE ’til I Can’t No More: Genre Charts, Data, and Identity  51
6. WORLD WIDE ’til I Can’t No More: How Technology and Internet Culture Built “Old Town Road”  69
7. BESTRIDE ’til I Can’t No More: How Lil Nas X Dominated 2019  87
Epilogue. PRIDE ’til I Can’t No More: How Lil Nas X Became a Multihit Wonder  121
Acknowledgments  127
Bibliography  129
Index  133

Editorial Reviews

Chris Molanphy provides a (typical for him) master class in understanding ‘Old Town Road’ as well as the interaction between race, the charts, and country music. A fascinating, rigorous, and joyful book.

The Meaning of Soul: Black Music and Resilience since the 1960s - Emily J. Lordi

"Molanphy's astute analysis shows readers the full cultural 360 in tracking the success and controversy of the song, the artist, and the evolution of online platforms like TikTok and YouTube to democratize the distribution and awareness of music. He also discusses the role that Lil Nas X's queerness has played in his success and post-"Old Town Road" career to date. Molanphy's book is a masterful and entertaining piece of cultural studies that, at 152 pages, takes exactly the time it needs to tell its story."

Shelf Awareness - Elizabeth DeNoma

"Readers with a general interest in American music history and the intersection of pop culture, race, and the evolution of music genres will find Molanphy's book informative and well-documented. Old Town Road offers insightful observations about the cultural and commercial impact of this hit song's cross-over between Rap and Country music and the coming-of-age of Generation Z artist Lil Nas X (Montero Lamar Hill). . . . Molanphy's book is a great starting point for additional analyses and enjoyment of this remarkable record-breaking song."

Journal of American Culture - Kirsten Møllegaard

"It takes Chris Molanphy just 125 pages to brilliantly chronicle the twists and turns that made Lil Nas X single ‘Old Town Road’ such a phenomenon."

Andy Davidsonna UK

I never fully understood, appreciated, or contextualized popular music until I read Chris Molanphy.

Jesse Eisenberg

"More than just an analysis of 'Old Town Road.' This book has wide appeal for music and pop culture fans." (Starred Review)
 

Library Journal - Rebekah J. Buchanan

"Molanphy's astute analysis shows readers the full cultural 360 in tracking the success and controversy of the song, the artist, and the evolution of online platforms like TikTok and YouTube to democratize the distribution and awareness of music. He also discusses the role that Lil Nas X's queerness has played in his success and post-"Old Town Road" career to date. Molanphy's book is a masterful and entertaining piece of cultural studies that, at 152 pages, takes exactly the time it needs to tell its story."--Elizabeth DeNoma "Shelf Awareness" (12/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"More than just an analysis of 'Old Town Road.' This book has wide appeal for music and pop culture fans." (Starred Review)
--Rebekah J. Buchanan "Library Journal" (10/1/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"Chris Molanphy provides a (typical for him) master class in understanding 'Old Town Road' as well as the interaction between race, the charts, and country music. A fascinating, rigorous, and joyful book."--Emily J. Lordi, author of "The Meaning of Soul: Black Music and Resilience since the 1960s"

"I never fully understood, appreciated, or contextualized popular music until I read Chris Molanphy."--Jesse Eisenberg

From the Publisher