Lil Nas X has never quite fitted in. His viral track Old Town Road, the longest-running number one song in chart history, attracted controversy for its genre-straddling hybrid of country, hip-hop and trap.Neither genre claimed him, with Lil Nas receiving a tepid reception from both country and trap radio stations.
His biggest hit to date ended up an oddity – listened to all over the world, but with no place to call home. In a typical move, he embraced the controversy by releasing a remix of the song featuring country artist Billy Ray Cyrus, giving both genres a wry, rebellious stare.
His characteristic defiance seemed to challenge the entertainment world: what now? It was against this background, in the third month of Old Town Road’s.