1) What is the big debate regarding Old Town Road and genre?
Upon further review, it was determined that ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X does not currently merit inclusion on Billboard‘s country charts,” a Billboard representative told Rolling Stone, which reported on the reclassification on March 26. “When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version
2) What do you learn about the background of Lil Nas X and Old Town Road from the podcast transcript?
He bought a beat that had this sort of country-sounding instrumental to it. And he said he was living at home feeling very lonely, feeling like a lonely cowboy, and he decided to pair that feeling with this sort of twangy beat that he bought. So “Old Town Road” starts off very much as this deep-voiced ode to the simple life on the dirt road path with your horse. And then it breaks into what he calls “country trap.”
3) What is the Yeehaw agenda?
The yee haw agenda. This woman, Bri Malandro, tweeted about how a lot of black artists are getting interested in sort of the country aesthetic. And the way that Lil Nas X factored into that is, while people were picking up on the good ol’ cowboy/cowgirl aesthetic, his song was circulating on Twitter and he made it available for free on TikTok, which is this huge platform kind of akin to Vine where people can lip sync to songs and record themselves doing dance moves, and people who already were kind of feeling this kind of ironic cowboy vibe turned “Old Town Road” into the “Yee Haw Challenge.” It became this new TikTok phenomenon where people would try and outdo each other dancing to “Old Town Road.” So the way the song starts is, it’s very like classic country, and then the beat drops.
4) How did the story become a debate about race in America?
I mean, we don’t often see black artists on the country charts in general and we don’t often see Sound Cloud-born rap-adjacent songs charting so highly — especially ones that really are just circulated through memes and the internet.
5) How does Charlie Harding sum up the whole thing in the final part of the podcast transcript?
we have to also point out how amazing it is that this thing which was a meme that was commentary on cowboy culture and black identity that became an immediate overnight think piece which an ageing country star then remixed. Like, this thing is entirely of our moment. This is not old country music of a rural community. This is the internet generation.
Now read this Salon feature on Lil Nas X and LGBTQ+ identity. Answer the following questions:
1) How did Lil Nas X announce his sexuality on social media?
On Sunday, rapper Lil Nas X of viral, genre-blurring country-trap “Old Town Road” fame came out as gay. In a series of tweets, he encouraged fans to listen to his song “c7osure,” which talks about coming clean about secrets and accepting oneself.
2) Why does the article describe Old Town Road as 'genre-blurring'?
As a genre-blurring artist whose breakthrough hit harnessed both hip hop and country sounds and fans, Lil Nas X's public declaration of his sexuality touches both genres. On the country side of the industry, LGBTQ visibility and celebration has come a long way in recent years.
3) How has country music demonstrated the social change taking place in American culture and society?
Country music has a long tradition of valorizing American political ideals like patriotism, liberty and opportunity. Yet music like Carlile's questions who — especially under an administration that openly opposes LGBTQ rights — has true access to those rights and who much of country music is made for. But with artists as critically and commercially dominant as Carlile and Lil Nas X starting and continuing conversations about queer representation and acceptance, the canon of country classics preaching other cherished American ideals — like inclusion and freedom through the lens of LGBTQ visibility and power — will hopefully continue to grow.
Old Town Road textual analysis
Watch the video again and answer the following questions. Use your notes from our in-class analysis to help you:
1) How is the narrative features used in the music video? Apply narrative theory here.
Narrative is used as Lil nas x is being chased as he robbed a bank and enters a wormhole which puts him in present america and he has different interactions up till the end when he enters a hall and stumbles upon people dressed up as western characters.
2) What examples of genre conventions and intertextuality can you find in the video?
An example of genre conventions can be Lil nas x costume and what he wears it can also be the horse which he has and is riding
3) How are technical codes used to create meanings in the video? Analyse camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene and make specific reference to moments in the video.
Camera work is used in the music video as sometimes it zooms in Lil nas face which shows his emotions clearly and what hes thinking.
4) How are representations of race and ethnicity constructed?
Race and ethnicity are constructed as positive or disconnected this can be seen as in the while video you see only one race through the video then coming to the hall you see another race.
5) What other representations can you find in the video? You may wish to comment on gender, sexuality or America/American culture.
American culture you can talk about the guy mention Compton which is a place in amercian
Old Town Road Media Factsheet
Finally, read Media Factsheet #262 - Old Town Road. You'll need to log in to Google using your Greenford Google account to access this. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) Who are the celebrities that appear in cameos in the video?
The music video featured cameos from comedians Chris Rock and Haha Davis, rappers Vince Staples and Rico Nasty, songwriter Jozzy, producer Youngkio, and DJ Diplo.
2) Choose three of the key terms defined on the first page of the factsheet and write the definitions here. Focus on terms you are unfamiliar with.
Archetypal: A representation that is very typical of a person, place or thing.
Cultural Myth: Deeper ideologies that have been shaped through cultural coding through connotations over time.
Double consciousness: The idea that conflicting racial identities can exist within an individual.
Hyper masculine: An exaggerated representation of masculinity which emphasises physical strength.
Intertexuality: The referencing of other media products within any given media text either explicitly or by allusion.
Mytheme: Small units of narrative in cultural products; such as theme, character and action, the study of which can reveal the dominant ideas and values of culture.
3) How did Lil Nas X use social media to boost his own popularity and the success of the video?
Lil Nas X listed the song on iTunes and SoundCloud as country not rap. Referring to the track as“Country-Trap” to exploit the space between the two genres (genre- straddling/hybridity). This manipulates the algorithm in favour of the track so it doesn’t compete with the more popular genres. He utilised search-engine optimisation, by asking users on Reddit was he should call the song. This process keeping his content visible. There was a certain amount of luck involved in Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road becoming popular. The release of the original track coincided with a resurgence of interest in Cowboy culture, such as with TikTok “Yeehaw” memes. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2’s release meant that audiences were already primed for content like his. The track really gained traction when it was shared on TikTok. Millions of TikToks were shared featuring Old Town Road.
4) Look at the video analysis on page 3. What conventions of the western can be found in the video?
A montage of images is used to reinforce the conspicuous consumption of material goods. The Maserati car, the dollar sign, diamonds, rhinestones, the Super Mall, flashy suits and high-end sunglasses connote the capitalist nature of America. Furthermore, the material riches can be seen as mytheme; Vladimir Propp noted that the hero would often be given riches and wealth as a reward for his labours, he called this transfiguration. Furthermore, these signifies of wealth such as clutching a money bag with a dollar sign on it, construct the hyper reality of The American Dream, a cultural myth that states everyone should have equal access and opportunities, especially when it comes to success.
5) How does the video begin?
The video begins in a chase and the Comedian Chris Rock has a dialog. The opening scene was like a movie then the camera goes to Lil Nas x with Billy Ray Cyrus then Lil mas gets shot at and jumps into a wormhole then the music video starts.
6) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the modern-day part of the video?
The cowboy in popular American culture has featured on radio, in comic books, games, films, and television shows, had music written about him and featured in advertising.
7) How can the video be read as a reinforcement of capitalism and the American dream?
“The Malboro Man” was used to promote the Malboro cigarette brand, primarily featured a rugged cowboys in wild terrain. The adverts were originally conceived as a way to popularise filtered cigarettes which at the time were considered feminine. The lyrics of the song direct reference this image; “I’m like a Marlboro Man so I kick on back. Wish I could roll on back to that old town road.” The Malboro man reinforces the American dream of being free
8) How does the factsheet suggest the video creates a hyperreality?
The video ends with Lil Nas hugging a little white Bingo playing, line-dancing old lady, subverting the negative stereotype of the threatening black man as well as suggesting that outsiders should not be feared. This culminates in a message which constructs a hyperreality of inclusivity and community above fear and violence.
9) How is masculinity represented in the video?
The cowboy in popular American culture has featured on radio, in comic books, games, films, and television shows, had music written about him and featured in advertising. This representation often takes a romanticised an ideal of masculinity that is WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant). They are depicted as self-reliant, macho and tough, often self-sacrificing and shun romantic relationships with women. John Wayne, real name Marion Robert Morrison, was arguably the most famous and archetypal (best version) of this version of masculinity.
10) Look at the final page. What theories are suggested for this CSP and which do you think are the most useful?
Judith Butler’s theory effectively to the video as it draws attention to the performative nature of gender. Stereotypical feminine gender codes, such as the pink suits and flowers, highlight that “the inner truth is a fabrication.” Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus do not “perform” like conventional cowboys.
David Gauntlett’s identity theory would argue that more varied and nuanced representations of masculinity offer audiences more identity models to follow. Plus, marginalised representations of gay, black country, and rap artists getting mainstream exposure and being accepted could pave the way for more artists from these groups.
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