Old Town Road: The Best song of 2019.

Originally released December 3rd 2018 by Lil Nas X, the track caused a ruckus between the

Billboards and country fans. We’re a society obsessed with labels, what is your GENDER? What do you preferably drag home at 3am and shag? A flexitarian seems like a WEAK excuse for a bad vegan. Old Town Road couldn’t possibly be both country AND trap? And yet, in 2018, Lil Nas X said yes. Yes, it could.

I first remember properly listening to the song in April 2019 when the Billy Ray Cyrus remix was released. He got on board and supported the track as a country song, which sent the short-but-sweet record rocketing into the charts.

Soon I was surrounded by the song via radio play, student club nights and the creation of a whole new wave of meme content on the Gram. Every time I hear the intro I feel genuinely psyched.  Billy Ray’s sweet and sexy intro gets me riled up, and “I got the horses in the back” literally sends me tutting and crumping instantaneously. 

Removed from the Country billboard, Old Town Road continued to fuck with people. The track broke records by running at number one for the longest time in chart history. Ever.

I was surprised that I took so long to watch the music video… what a treat. The video opens in 1989 with Lil Nas X in a Western scene amongst other stars. He is then sent through a time tunnel and dropped into 2019 amongst a suburban road. Lil Nas X and Cyrus then enter looking, quite frankly, fucking spectacular in fully pimped-up cowboy suits.

But Old Town Road continued to fuck with people. Country fans not only got their knickers in a twist about the genre, but their Wrangler jeans too. “Cowboy hat from Gucci, Wrangler on my booty” is essentially the new generations’ “apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur”. Apparently OG Wrangler country fans were going to boycott the brand after they thought it had commercialised. Although, I’m fairly certain they could already be bought in Urban Outfitters.

Let’s talk the Glasto set. I got a call from a pal who was at the festival whilst I spent the sweaty weekend moving-house (RIP). Phone charge is precious, Glastonbury is too much of a whirl-wind to be distracted by a screen… so I knew this call was important. Lo and behold I could hear the crowd repeating the lines of that oh-so catchy chorus - the quality was shit, but the passion was there.

This was Old Town Road.

I watched the set on iPlayer (God bless). Miley was jamming out to rock versions of her usual poppy tracks before Party in the USA ended abruptly, and Old Town Road struck up. Her Daddy entered the stage with Lil Nas X bounding on behind, sporting a Miley t-shirt. Basically, get on YouTube and watch it (and treat yourself to the official music video while you’re at it).

Glasto set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nNxLpfZt38

Music Vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ov5jzm3j8

After all this, I feel like I don’t really need to explain why it’s “the best”. Let’s just applaud the legend who created something in their room, got a whole load of shit for it not conforming, and proceeded to do bloody well from it all anyway. “Ain’t nobody tell me nothing” - isn’t this what our punk parents were dribbling over in the 70’s anyway? Oh shit, have I just added another genre to the song? Sorry Billboards.

Slider & the Goose *cracks whip*