Lil Nas X - Old Town Road: Blog tasks

 

 Background and cultural contexts

Read this Vox feature and podcast transcript on Lil Nas X and Old Town Road. Make sure you read the whole thing - including the podcast transcript - then answer the following questions: 

1) What is the big debate regarding Old Town Road and genre? 

A number of factors have contributed to Lil Nas X’s popularity, particularly the debate over whether “Old Town Road” should be classified as country music

2) What do you learn about the background of Lil Nas X and Old Town Road from the podcast transcript?

Lil Nas X is a 20-year-old rapper from Atlanta. Technically his birth name is Montero Hill, but he has been calling himself “Lil Nas X” for several years now. And last year he joined SoundCloud, as many people do. And by the end of the year in December he released a song called “Old Town Road.” The background for Old Town Road is that Lil Nas X 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 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.”

4) How did the story become a debate about race in America?

 The story became about race in America as Lil Nas X who is a black music artist in America and his song was charting up in a very white music space and his song gets quietly removed by a very powerful, influential organisation which links to his race because Billboard (the organisation that Lil Nas X's song was dominating) said “Oh no, it has nothing to do with his race, it has everything to do with the song and the lack of country elements in it.” This then immediately set off conversation, especially in the black Twitter community saying that the only reason Old Town Road was taken off the Billboard Chart is because of him being black playing 'white' country music that is mainly represented by white people only.  

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?

Lil Nas X announced his sexuality on social media by coming out as gay in a series of tweets on Twitter (X). 

2) Why does the article describe Old Town Road as 'genre-blurring'? 

Old Town Road is described as 'genre-blurring' due to the fact that it touched both the music side of country music genre and because of his sexuality of being a gay person the LQBTQ side as well which showed him a lot of support. 

3) How has country music demonstrated the social change taking place in American culture and society? 

By 2014, the states that had legalized same-sex marriage cumulatively contained 70 percent of the U.S. population. Then, in 2015,  U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans, making marriage equality the law of the land. At the same time, the country music industry was attempting to appeal to a younger listeners, who were more generally supportive of marriage equality. Furthermore, in the five years since, there has been an exciting movement past mere acceptance of LGBTQ country musicians toward supporting those musicians claiming (or reclaiming) their queer identities through their performances. 

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.

Narratives that can be applied here for Old Town Road can be Levi-Srauss: binary oppositions such as the costumes and props that are used to signify the time period of being an old western genre and then the crossover between country and rap mix. Another narrative theory that can be used is Barthes: enigma and action codes such as in the beginning of the music video Lil Nas X running away from the gun's bullet which can emphasis a classic Western action code. 

2) What examples of genre conventions and intertextuality can you find in the video?

Genre conventions found in the video are the cowboy hats that are worn to signify old western cowboys and the intertexuality of Billy Ray Cyrus being a country legend which helps to show the idea of this being more  country music song as well as having a rap mix to it as well with the example of Lil Nas X playing that leading role.

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.

Certain pan outs and a phase in at the start of the video which are very stereotypical towards western movies. 

4) How are representations of race and ethnicity constructed in the video?

The use of representations such as race and ethnicity of almost the whole cast in the music video being an entirely black cast can initially show the changing of country music and trying to subvert the typical stereotypes of country music being predominantly white dominated. 

5) What other representations can you find in the video? You may wish to comment on gender, sexuality or America/American culture. 

Other representations that I can find in the music video is the costume used. This is because of having Billy Ray Cyrus who is a country music legend but subverts the idea of sexuality as he is also wearing a pink cowboy suit almost matching with Lil Nas X's which can connote to show that Billy supports the idea of being free and liking whoever you want. 

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.

Hypermasculine: An exaggerated representation of masculinity which emphasises physical strength.

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.

Archetypal: A representation that is very typical of a person, place or thing.

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.

4) Look at the video analysis on page 3. What conventions of the western can be found in the video? 

The video is a camp black western, complete with a hick hoe-down, car vs. horse showdowns and most importantly a stranger riding into town.

5) How does the video begin? 

The video starts in media res (in the middle of action) and shows Lil Nas X riding through rugged countryside of the outback being chased by the sheriff and his deputies. 

6) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the modern-day part of the video? 

The Wild West of the 1800s is transposed to Los Angeles to create a comic juxtaposition for the audience; from the desolate, unwelcoming outback to the suburban streets of Los Angeles where the inhabitants are filmed in slow motion astonished at the sight of this newcomer.

7) How can the video be read as a reinforcement of capitalism and the American dream? 

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, these signifiers 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.

8) How does the factsheet suggest the video creates a hyperreality? 

Creating a juxtaposition of modern days and the 1800s

9) How is masculinity represented in the video? 

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.

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 preformative 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.

Paul Gilroy’s idea of double-consciousness could be applied through the idea that Lil Nas X has openly stated he’s struggled with his own sexuality and Christian background, as well as being a black artist trying to break out in the white-centric genre of country and western music.

Postcolonial theory: blog tasks

  Wider reading on race and Old Town Road

Read this W Magazine deep dive on the Yeehaw agenda and answer the following questions: 

1) What are the visual cues the article lists as linked to the western genre? 

Visual cues associated with what could be classified as western—cowboy hats, cow prints, rhinestones, and fringed suede jackets.

2) How did the Yeehaw agenda come about? 

The Yeehaw aganeda came about in September 2018, the trend of black pop-culture figures wearing cowboy garb was dubbed the “Yeehaw Agenda” by Bri Malandro, a Texas-based pop-culture archivist.

3) Why has it been suggested that the black cowboy has been 'erased from American culture'? 

The reasons why  black cowboy has been 'erased from American culture' states back to during the Civil War, Texas slave owners left cattle wrangling up to the black slaves they purchased while the slave owners fought in battle. After the war ended, many slaves had become expert cowhands, and roughly 25 percent of cowboys were black.

4) How has the black cowboy aesthetic been reflected by the fashion industry?

Black cowboy aesthetic has been reflected by the fashion industry as a major clothing brand Telfar, has emphasised the importance of the black cowboy figure by employing this aesthetic on the runway. For Telfar, the “runway” at the fall 2019 New York Fashion Week happened to be a stage, where Ho99o9 and other musicians donned in their finest western accoutrements—including cowboy hats and chaps—and performed while models stage dove into the crowd turned mosh pit. The show was appropriately titled “Country.”

5) Read the section on Lil Nas X and Old Town Road. What does it suggest about race and the country music community?

Lil Nas X and Old Town Road suggests about race and the country music community that black artists have had a hand in the invention and popularisation of genres including rock and roll, punk, riot grrrl, and electronic music, the ways in which black artists have shaped the sounds of contemporary country music have historically been overshadowed by the emphasis placed on white artists. For example, a musician like Ray Charles may be more commonly associated with the blues or soul, but he was one of the few black artists who achieved crossover success and made major contributions to American country music in the 1960s

6) What elements of the song and music video are suggested to be authentically country and western?

The act of dressing like a cowboy, highlighting the impact black artists have had on country music, and flooding the Internet with decidedly black western imagery is a form of paying homage to this nearly forgotten community and a mode of archiving it so that it won’t be forgotten in the future. 

7) What genres of music does the article suggest have been shaped by black influences? 

Black people and influences have shaped up rock and roll, punk, riot grrrl, and electronic music, the ways in which black artists have shaped the sounds of contemporary country music.

8) In your opinion, what do you think has been the driving force behind the Yeehaw movement? 

I feel like the drive for the Yeehaw agenda was mainly of the inequality and how misrepresented and under represented black people have been in the media due to the fact the only publicity they seem to receive is negative and hate publicity and since Lil Nas X's song got taken off the the billboards 100 just because he is a young black man playing country music it was the final straw towards black people making a movement about this. 

Applying postcolonial theory to Old Town Road

Revise the postcolonial theories we have studied and apply them to the Old Town Road music video: 

1) How does the Old Town Road music video both reinforce and challenge black stereotypes in the media?

The video reinforced black stereotypes of black people in the media due to Lil Nas X playing hip hop music in his music video which is stereotypical towards black people. However this video challenges black stereotypes as we can say Lil Nas X is seen as some kind of hero as in the music video we see him an Billy Ray Cyrus walk into this hall where there are a bunch of old people playing bingo which is shown in the video as quite boring and then it cuts to Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus performing on stage with the old people line dancing to their music which can show they saved them from the boredom which can be classified as the villain. 

2) How could you argue that the Old Town Road video challenges Gilroy's theory of double consciousness?

We can argue that Gilroy's theory can be wrong as Lil Nas X may not be stuck between two different opposing cultures as we see in the end of the video how welcoming the white people are and how much fun everyone is having as they are all up and dancing and smiling and taking photos. 

3) How does Lil Nas X and Old Town Road provide an example of Hall's theory of race representations? Alternatively, you could argue against this if you prefer.  

Stuart Hall's theory suggests that audiences often blur race and class which leads to people associating particular races with certain social classes such as for example white people being more dominant and wealthier than white people. He suggests that Western cultures are still white dominated and that ethnic minorities such as black and Asian people are misinterpreted due to racist tenancies. This theory can help support the theory of what Hall is saying is correct due to the fact of Old Town Road being removed from the Billboards 100 due to the fact it featured a young black man (Lil Nas X) playing the lead role in a country/rap music video. 

However, this theory can be argued as we can say that in the music video there are mainly black people shown in the country music video which can help support the idea of country music not being all white dominated and that black people can be featured inside the video. We see other representations of famous black people in the music video such as Chris Rock and Rico Nasty. 

4) Are there any examples of Alvarado's theory of black stereotypes in the Old Town Road video? Why/why not?

There are some key themes that are represented in Alvarado's theory of black stereotypes in the Old Town Road video such as Humorous as we see in the ending of the video Chris Rock's out takes he does showing him stuttering and messing up his lines which provides the audience laughter as it is quite funny. Furthermore, we do see Exotic being represented in the music video in the form of Lil Nas X as we can say his costume he was wearing which was a cowboy outfit and that he was trying to represent himself as a cowboy in a Western genre which shows Lil Nas X trying to fit in which is stereotyped as a white dominated era. 

5) How does Lil Nas X provide a compelling case study for bell hooks's theory of intersectionality?

bell hooks suggested that social classification (e.g. race, gender, class, sexuality) are interconnected. She argued that sexism and racism meant that black women had the lowest status in American society. Lil Nas X subverts bell hook's idea due to the case of gender being presented in a fair and equal way. This is because towards in the end of the music video we see a mix of black and white people together line dancing which helps to show the idea of gender and race being shown equality within the video and being treated fairly. This goes against the idea of bell hook's as she states that black women had the lowest status in American society but as we can see in the music video helps to support the idea of equality and fairness overall.