Old Town Road close textual analysis

 Lil Nas X - Old Town Road: Blog tasks

Background and historical 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?

Whether 'Old Town Road' should be classified as country music. Caused uproar about who gets to decide if something is 'country' or not.

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.”

3) What is the Yeehaw agenda?

The yeehaw agenda is a representation of Black cowboys that has been erased from the mainstream media and For the most part, these icons have been confined to the narrow image of the white man, despite the fact that during the golden age of westward expansion, 1 in 4 cowboys was black. But in 2019, this uniformity was challenged by a new generation of black artists in a movement that has come to be known as the Yeehaw Agenda. As expressed in fashion, film and pop music, the Yeehaw Agenda reflects a moment of transition in which the very idea of American identity is being contested.

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

A Black artist in America who’s charting in a very white music space and his song gets quietly removed by a very powerful, influential organization. Genius reached out and of course Billboard 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.” It immediately set off conversation, especially in the black Twitter community. Country has often been very much protected. There’s a big gatekeeping sort of vibe, and country music prevents black artists from really penetrating the scene. 

5) How does Charlie Harding sum up the whole thing in the final part of the podcast transcript?

These are not mutually exclusive and completely exhaustive categories; there is a lot of overlap. And I think that today people listen as much by mood as they do by genre, upending an entire way of thinking about the importance of these generic categories.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 thinkpiece which an aging country star then remixed. Like, this thing is entirely of our moment. This is not old country music of a rural community

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?

He tweeted "some of y'all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more,” “But before this month ends i want y’all to listen closely to c7osure.” with a rainbow emoji and then posted the artwork from his new EP “7,” which is an illustration of him on a horse, riding towards a rainbow building.

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

His breakthrough hit harnessed both hip hop and country sounds and fans. Lil Nas X's public declaration of his sexuality touches both genres.

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

2014 was a big year for LGBTQ news in country music. The trend in growing acceptance and support followed a nationwide social and political shift. 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.

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.

Binary opposition- rap music vs country and western vs modern

propp- here and villain

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

Celebrity Chris Rock cameo for a comedic and satirical effect.

Intertextuality through the mention of Lean- a recreational drug beverage that is popular among rap culture.

Name checking current popular brands such as Maserati and fendi.

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.

The costumes worn represents current fashion trends whereas the cowboy outfits are old and outdated. A clear contrast  between old and new. Much like the race between the horse and the sports car. It shows the transformation of society and the advancement of transportation.

The camerawork is fast paced to keep the audience enticed.

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

There is stark racial divide within the MV as we are taken through a predominantly Black, urban neighborhood that are trendy as they are doing dance moves such as the "whip and nae nae" that was popular at the time the video was being made. However, when we get to Billy ray cyrus' part, it seems to be old fashioned and again, predominantly white, reflecting the real racial divide that is present in america today. At the end, Lil Nas X  is hugging a white woman, highlighting that cultural conviviality is possible in America.

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

Lil Nas X being gay gives a different meaning to the music video as it could now be about LBGT acceptance.