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?
The debate around genre and Old Town Road is whether it should be classified as Country or Rap or a hybrid of both.This debate came to be when Billboard removed Old Town Road from the country charts claiming it wasn’t country enough.
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 young black rapper from Atlanta
- he bought the beat online and first recorded the song in 2018
- Song was uploaded to soundcloud and went viral on tiktok as a meme challenge
- Lil Nas X claims the song is not a parody and is genuine despite being a meme
3) What is the Yeehaw agenda?
The Yeehaw agenda is a trend where black artists embrace cowboy/country aesthetics as many believe there isn’t enough representation of black cowboys despite there being many that existed in the past.
4) How did the story become a debate about race in America?
Billboard removing the song from the country chart sparked backlash on twitter as people believed the reason it was removed was due to it being produced by a black artist who have historically been excluded from country/cowboy genres.
Billboard however denied any allegations that the removal was due to race but rather due to it not being country enough.
5) How does Charlie Harding sum up the whole thing in the final part of the podcast transcript?
Charlie Harding sums it up as being "a perfect reflection of 2019 culture" as it included: a social media movement/trend, a mix of old and new to create something new, a meme and most importantly a commentary on race and genre within the media.
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 came out as gay via a series of tweets. This started with the first tweet where he told people to listen closely to his song “C7osure” in which he speaks about accepting yourself and revealing secrets. This was followed by another tweet “Some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care, some of y’all not gone fwm no more” which he ended with a rainbow emoji. Then in his final tweet he posted cover art in which he’s wearing a cowboy hat sitting in a unicorn and riding towards a rainbow lit building.
2) Why does the article describe Old Town Road as 'genre-blurring'? It’s described as being genre blurring as it mixes the hip hop and country genres by combining trap beats and cowboy imagery to for a new “blurred”/hybrid genre.
3) How has country music demonstrated the social change taking place in American culture and society?
Country music is beginning to represent: queer identity, social progress and inclusion, following the wider trend of increasing social and political changes within America.
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 are narrative features used in the music video? Apply narrative theory here.
Todorov:
Equilibrium= cowboys and sheriffs in their original time period living their regular lives Disequilibriun= Lil Nas X falling into the future where he looks out of place and isn't familiar with his surroundings New Equilibrium= Lil Nas X adapt to their new surroundings and get used to the future, they buy new cloths and a car and engage with the community
Propp:
Nas = Hero
Billy Ray Cyrus = side kick
Barthe:
Action code = the dance battle between Nas and
the little girl where he shows his gun holster alluding to a stand off
Strauss: Old vs New Country Vs HipHop
2) What examples of genre conventions and intertextuality can you find in the video?
Music + Film genres: Mix of SciFi (time travel), country (cowboys,horses,etc.) and HipHop (music and some scenes/settings)
Intertextual references: Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter starred in Hannah Montana in which there was a dance scene which looked like the scene near the end of the video where the bingo players were all dancing.
Celebrity Cameos: Chris Rock, Diplo and Billy Ray Cyrus.
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.
Establishing shots of the western setting and the urban setting later are used to show the blending of old + new and the hybridity of genre.
Low angle of Lil Nas X make him seem important and possibly heroic which is common in western movies.
Fast paced montage edits to match the upbeat parts of the song.
Slow motion when Nas arrives to highlight how out of place he is and how strange the situation is.
Quick transitions during the dancing scenes reflect the fast paced short tiktok style video edits.
Costumes mix the classic western cowboy outfit with modern styles such as bright colours and sequins.
Props such as the horses and fast cars in the same setting create a humorous image especially when the horse is seen beating the sports car.
4) How are representations of race and ethnicity constructed in the video?
Representation of a black cowboy which isn’t stereotypically shown in the western/country genres and challenges the dominance of white cowboys.
5) What other representations can you find in the video? You may wish to comment on gender, sexuality or America/American culture.
Representation of masculinity diverts from traditional views through costume as we see the main characters dressed in sequinned, colourful cowboy outfits.
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?
Diplo,Chris Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus
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.
Double Consciousness – The idea that conflicting racial identities can exist within an individual (e.g. being Black and American in a society where these identities may clash).
Hypermasculine – An exaggerated representation of masculinity which emphasizes physical strength and toughness.
Mytheme – Small units of narrative (like characters or symbols) that reflect dominant cultural values or ideas (e.g., riches = success)
3) How did Lil Nas X use social media to boost his own popularity and the success of the video?
He created a nicki minaj stan account on twitter which helped him gain a following by engaging with meme culture. His song went viral on tiktok through the Yeehaw challenge meme which boosted the success of his song and got his name out.
4) Look at the video analysis on page 3. What conventions of the western can be found in the video?
Cowboys riding horseback through the desert
Showdown (dance battle) and chases (at the start)
The stranger (Nas) riding into town
5) How does the video begin?
The video begins with in media res and we see Nas being chased by sheriffs which establishes the western genre immediately.
6) What does the factsheet suggest regarding the modern-day part of the video?
The modern scenes show him being accepted and celebrated which shows the community spirit/inclusivity of the modern world and suggests a shift from the western fear of outsiders to the joy of embracing them and their differences.
7) How can the video be read as a reinforcement of capitalism and the American dream?
We see the main 2 characters with luxury items and cars which shows people that anyone can become successful even a man who just time traveled from the past which is a hyper-real version of the American dream.
8) How does the factsheet suggest the video creates a hyperreality?
It shows LA to be somewhat of a utopia and hides the harsh reality of these urban areas where in real life we’d see a lot of crime and less community spirit and acceptingness.
9) How is masculinity represented in the video?
It subverts from traditional ideas of masculinity through the use of costumes which include rhinestones and pink cowboy costumes.
10) Look at the final page. What theories are suggested for this CSP and which do you think are the most useful?
I believe the most useful theories would be Judith Butler and her theory of gender being a performance as we can see that Nas’ appearance and performance challenge. stereotypical/traditional views of what it means to be masculine and Paul Gilroy’s double consciousness theory as it addresses racial identity and gender boundaries.
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