2018: Lil Nas X releases ‘Old Town Road’

2018%3A+Lil+Nas+X+releases+%E2%80%98Old+Town+Road%E2%80%99

The newcomer’s song, which went viral thanks to his savvy on TikTokinitially charted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip Songs charts. Billboard’s decision to remove “Old Town Road” from the country chart due to it apparently not embracing “enough elements of today’s country music” sparked discussions about how the genre has historically limited Black country artists’ creative freedoms while not doing the same to white musicians incorporating elements of rap and pop. Billy Ray Cyrus, who voiced his support for Lil Nas X’s place in country, later appealed on a remix of the hit song.