What is the song exactly? In some ways, it's the perfect homage to country tropes. The song, which only recently ended its 19-week reign at number one as the longest-leading Billboard Hot 100 track all-time, has ripped the country doors wide open and has sparked a viral revolution. Previously, the public and mainstream exploration of the intersection of Blackness and the solemn cultural code of blue collar America may have been considered niche, but 'Old Town Road' is an unstoppable force that does not show signs of stopping. It was the perfect storm in the age of memes, positioning Lil Nas X and his magnum opus as the perfect experiment that America needed to examine itself in 2019. On December 3 of last year, Atlanta native Montero Lamar Hill (a.k.a Lil Nas X) independently released a song about riding one's metaphorical horse into the sunset. Previously, a song like 'Old Town Road' may have become a media sensation based solely on its replay value in suburban SUVs, but 'Old Town Road'-though just as catchy as many chart-breaking viral hits-has proven itself not like the others. It's been a surprising turn of events for the runaway hit of the year.
