Test Your Knowledge

An Analysis of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" Music Video

• Lil Nas X bought a track for $30 and uploaded "Old Town Road" on social media, which became a massive hit and an internationally recognized phenomenon.

• The music video, directed by Calmatic, features western genre tropes but reworks them to create Lil Nas X's own vision.

• The controversy surrounding the song's classification as country or rap and its disqualification from the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart highlights the importance of genre in the music industry.

• Music videos are effective marketing tools that promote an artist's values and beliefs and deepen their connection with the audience.

• The music video's narrative and representation of gender and race communicate important ideologies to the audience.

• Lil Nas X's dress codes and movement on stage construct a rugged masculine identity associated with cowboys.

• The story in the music video follows the classic western narrative of a lone stranger who rides into a troubled town and cleans it up, positioning Lil Nas X as the hero of the tale.

• The mashup of "Old Town Road" with footage from the video game "Red Dead Redemption 2" highlights Lil Nas X's ability to use technology to compete with professional media producers.

• The music video reinforces traditional gender roles and challenges the dominant ideology by depicting an active and aggressive masculinity identity.

• Lil Nas X's announcement that he was gay received both support and backlash, highlighting the resistance to change and broader definitions of masculinity in the music industry.

• Musical genres in America have always been linked to race, with the country music charts based on airplay on country radio stations and the R&B/Hip-Hop charts compiled from sales in black-owned retailers and airplay on "urban" radio stations.

• The music video's use of western genre tropes and its reworking of them, as well as its representation of gender and race, communicate important cultural meanings to the audience.Controversy over Lil Nas X's removal from country charts

• Lil Nas X's song "Old Town Road" was removed from Billboard's country charts.

• The decision caused controversy as Lil Nas X is a young black artist pushing the boundaries of country music.

• Some saw the decision as a "blatant real-time erasure" of a black artist.

• Billboard initially tried to explain their decision but later claimed race had nothing to do with it.

• The opening sequence of Lil Nas X's music video features dialogue referencing the controversy and Billy Ray Cyrus' support.

• The scene is likely a commentary on the situation with Billboard.

• The controversy highlights issues of representation and inclusion in the music industry.

• The AQA A-Level Media Studies course includes questions on media language and representations.

• Potential connections could be made with other works, such as "Ghost Town" by The Specials.

• Relevant texts for further reading include Judith Butler's "Gender Trouble", Steve Neale's "Genre", Liesbet van Zoonen's "Feminist Perspectives on the Media", and Will Wright's "Sixguns and Society".

• The controversy raises questions about the role of race in genre classification and the music industry as a whole.

• Lil Nas X's success with "Old Town Road" demonstrates the power of social media and online communities in promoting new artists.