The story of "Old Town Road" seems custom-built to confuse your dad. It's one of the great things about Lil Nas X's unstoppable hit. In the latest instalment of New York Times' Diary of a Song, the country trap star breaks down every element of the song's success, hopefully making it more digestible to those still in the dark.
He starts by explaining how he came across the beat courtesy of Dutch producer YoungKio, the way it took off on TikTok and other social media platforms (thanks, in no small part, to Lil Nas X's own memes), the Billboard chart controversy, and Billy Ray Cyrus's involvement in the remix. The video includes contributions from TikTok and Instagram influencers, alongside Cyrus and YoungKio.
"Old Town Road" continues to grow in magnitude, with Lil Nas X performing it with both John Mayer and Cardi B this week. All the while the song is keeping Taylor Swift off the No. 1 spot.
Check out the video above for the whole story of the most 2019 of hits.
Thumb courtesy of Rich Fury/Getty.
