Is Old Town Road Remix a country song? Let’s find out.

The Study: I collaborated with Alpha to conduct a quick analysis exploring whether country music fans (i.e. people who regularly listen to country songs) consider Old Town Road-Remix country music. The study included 270 participants in the US and gives us a directional picture of how this audience tends to think about the song.

Here’s what we found:

More participants agree with the statement

“Old Town Road Remix, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, is a country music song”

than disagree. 41% of our sample agrees, 25% is ambivalent/undecided, and 33% disagree. While there isn’t significant variation by gender, women tend to be slightly less likely to exclude the song from the country genre.

We see the most interesting findings when we cut the responses by age. It seems reasonable to expect people who consider the song country to skew younger. However, 55–64 year-olds are the most likely age group in our sample to consider Old Town Road-Remix to be a country song with 45% agreeing and 33% disagreeing. The 65+ age segment is actually least likely to exclude Old Town Road-Remix from the genre, with only 29% saying they would compared to 44% saying the song is country.

This is also notable because these two oldest age segments have the most country music fans in this study. Here’s how our sample breaks down:

By Sex: 161 are Female (60%) & 109 are Male (40%)

By Age: 31 are 18–24, 43 are 25–34, 38 are 35–44, 44 are 45–54, 62 are 55–64, and 52 are 65 years old or older

Although a larger sample would be useful to examine patterns across segments on more granular levels, this study is appropriate for getting an overall picture of how country music fans feel. It shows how hard data, the numbers, can help provide some clarity. But it also includes a qualitative component that allows us to explore why the numbers are what they are for important context. In addition to multiple choice responses, open-ended sections allowed participants to explain the rationale behind their answers. The reasons they gave for considering Old Town Road-Remix country included the content of the lyrics, style of the singing, sound of the musical composition, and inclusion of Billy Ray Cyrus.

They said:

“The song is a crossover song but it is more of a country song than a rap song. Truthfully he [Lil Nas X] is singing and Billy is rapping his part.”

“It’s all about perception. The remix sounded more country to me than the first version I heard.”

“It is a crossover song… It can be played on country music radio stations or the Top 40.”

This kind of research is often used to find variation between different segments of people within a sample. However, the lack of dramatic differences along age and gender is telling given the debates about the song, which could make it seem divisive.

This study illustrates how research can help organizations make decisions. It also shows the value of hard data alongside context from more qualitative approaches. The numbers tell us country music fans are generally more inclined to consider Old Town Road-Remix country music than to exclude it and there’s surprising consistency across ages and genders. Their reasons range from how the music sounds to what the song is about. It’s also clear that including Billy Ray Cyrus helps transform the remix into a country song for many listeners. His brand broadens Old Town Road’s appeal to country music fans.

The Music: When I listened to the song, I heard elements that I associate with country music in terms of the chord progression, melody, and instrumentation, but over a trap-style beat. Then I started listening to what the song was about.

The refrain “can’t nobody tell me nothin” would be fitting coming from a grizzled cowboy on a prairie or a rebellious teen in a city. As the song starts to tell an increasingly evocative story, about the singer becoming successful and reckless, it started to feel more like country music. And on the remix, Billy Ray Cyrus adds a final verse about the singer moving across town, driving his Maserati, and reflecting on the life he left behind. He adds another dimension to the story through an energetic rap… with his iconic country voice.

“If we were still reviewing best rap verses of the month, please know that Billy Ray Cyrus’ verse on the Old Town Road” remix would absolutely be in contention for April.” -Complex.com

Initially, part of the fun of the song was trying to determine whether it’s country music. But listening to Lil Nas X sing and Billy Ray Cyrus rap, I started to realize that what makes it seem like a country song also makes it more like hip-hop. Legendary country singers and MCs both tend to be great storytellers… and ultimately the qualities I was using to try classifying the song just made me appreciate the music more.

Hip-hop has evolved through different eras, arguably more than country music, and the song’s beat is in a trap style that has become especially popular in recent years. The track follows hip-hop tradition by challenging convention — embracing a new style, but also another genre. Hip-hop has done this throughout its history, particularly with jazz, electro, reggae, R&B, country, and rock. Even the first hip-hop hit, Rapper’s Delight, was on a disco record.

In determining whether the song is country, we should understand how it’s interpreted by country music fans, i.e. cultural insiders. This study included just them; only people in the US who selected country as one of their favorite genres from a list were invited to participate. Although country is based on genres like folk and the blues, the criteria that qualify country music may be stricter than for hip-hop because of the genres’ different cultural histories.

Nonetheless, Old Town Road highlights what these art forms — and the people who find meaning in them — have in common.

The Culture: This song is interesting on an artistic level, but also culturally. And the more I learned, the more culturally relevant it seemed.

The music video for the original song uses visuals from Red Dead Redemption 2, a video game that has become a cultural phenomenon. Many people first learned about the original song through social media with help from Justin Bieber, who got his own start as a YouTuber. And then Old Town Road took off through a performative meme on a much newer social platform called TikTok.

I asked on Twitter whether including Billy Ray Cyrus, an artist who has helped reshape what is considered country, would impact whether Old Town Road-Remix is included on Billboard’s country charts. One person thought it would, because then the song would have a country singer on it. And then someone retorted that it had one in the first place, Lil Nas X.

This exchange raises questions about what constitutes country music and who should decide. It also broaches another, more profound discussion about identity.

Who’s a country music artist… or fan? And who is hip-hop?

Would people be inclined to associate preconceived notions with them beyond musical tastes? What is the cultural baggage these genres carry? How do country and hip-hop fans think? Would we expect differences between them… and why?

This question also raises issues beyond identity. Billy Ray Cyrus is well known and his presence on the track may add credibility among some country music fans. However, he’s also a seasoned musician who helps shape the song with his voice, singing style, writing, and even whistling.

Why the Culture Needs an Old Town Road: Music is meaningful because of the artistry that produces it but also because of how it reflects and shapes the society that receives it. In an age of viral memes, a song like Old Town Road can make an impact with breakneck speed and for an extended period of time. The song is meaningful because of its cultural context, which Lil Nas X alludes to with a joke about the symbolism of his lyrics.

It’s also evident in the response Billy Ray Cyrus is getting for his contribution, which received the meme treatment from a whole new generation of fans and Black Twitter.

This isn’t the first time Billy Ray Cyrus has been at the center of a cultural phenomenon either. Long before social media, TV transmitted his music video for Achy Breaky Heart across the US and this is credited with popularizing country line dancing. It should also be noted that he’s done a hip-hop remix of that song.

Bringing together themes, references, and artistic devices that are shared across communities makes this work intriguing beyond an argument about genres or controversy about music charts. It reminds us of shared aesthetics and human experiences, which are often deep seated and too easy to forget.

And it’s amusing to see people reflect on this, often jokingly, through YouTube comments.

Old Town Road and the Remix remind us that categories like country and hip-hop can be problematic. This is because music has historically brought ideas and people together across cultural boundaries. Its potential only grows with social media, memes, and even gaming. This process, called syncretism by cultural anthropologists, can have entertaining but also unexpectedly profound consequences.

This is why I find the song compelling.

And also because it slaps.

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