“Old Town Road” Favored to Appear on Hot Country Songs Chart in 2019
- Viral Internet star Lil Nas X is in the news again with a new Billy Ray Cyrus-infused version of his single “Old Town Road”
- Lil Nas X is the most recent genre-bending songster to find his way to the top of the charts thanks to viral social media acclaim
- After its success on the Billboard charts and subsequent removal, fans are curious what’s next for the star and his single
In the ever-shape-shifting musical environment of 2019, genre is a tricky subject. Nobody knows that fact more than Atlanta-based rapper-singer Lil Nas X, the latest star elevated to success thanks to a social media platform.
Lil Nas X’s single “Old Town Road”, originally released on SoundCloud, reached new heights when video-content social media site TikTok used the track for its “Yeehaw Challenge“, where participants shot their own clip to the tune of the track.
Lil Nas X is the latest star who has been elevated to success thanks to a social media platform.
The Yeehaw Challenge brought “Old Town Road” up the Country charts last fall, but a controversial decision saw Billboard pulling the track off the country charts. Now, a series of questions regarding race, genre, and follow-up moves will see what happens next.
Will “Old Town Road” Make it onto the Billboard Hot Country Songs Charts in 2019?
| Will “Old Town Road” Be on Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2019? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -150 |
| No | +110 |
*Odds taken 04/08/19
Billboard kicked “Old Town Road” off the charts in its first form, but a follow-up remix featuring country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus has just dropped, leading fans and news outlets to ask Billboard, “Is this country enough now?” Yee-haw!
Chances are that, given the backlash for removing the song from the country chart in the first place (leading many to call Billboard racist), this remix is the perfect chance to right the wrong that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Pick: Yes (-150)
Will Lil Nas X Have a Song Appear on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2019 Other than “Old Town Road”?
| Will Lil Nas X Have Another Song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 2019? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +200 |
| No | -300 |
Lil Nas X’s debut may be a certified country bop, but it’s hard to know if the singer-rapper will be tied down to this genre for good.
His Spotify artist profile sees him decked out in a Stetson and denim, but maybe this is just the imagery to match the current single. Chances are Lil Nas X will move on from the static world of country once “Old Town Road” has run its course.
Pick: No (-300)
Will Will Smith Appear in the Video for “Old Town Road”?
| Will Will Smith Appear in the Video for “Old Town Road”? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +155 |
| No | -220 |
Film star Will Smith has offered on Instagram to lend his image to the official music video for “Old Town Road” on his Instagram, cheekily cuing up the track to footage from his own “Wild Wild West” video.
But chances are Smith was just doing Lil Nas X a proper by helping promote his single, and won’t actually end up in the video when that time comes. Smith is pretty busy promoting Aladdin at the moment anyway.
Pick: No (-220)
As an active entertainment aficionado, the former Editor-in-Chief for the Capilano Courier, JJ also co-founded Lords of Dogwood, a Vancouver-based entertainment site in 2013. His writing has been found in ION Magazine, the North Shore News, and The Strand.
