Lil Nas X breaks Billboard chart record with ‘Old Town Road’

Atlanta rapper-singer has longest-running song on Hot 100

Atlanta rapper-singer Lil Nas X is the new sheriff of the Billboard Hot 100.

His ubiquitous ditty, “Old Town Road,” is now the longest-running No. 1 song in the 60-year history of the chart.

On Monday, “Old Town Road” notched its 17th week perched at the top – one week longer than previous record holders “Despacito” (Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber) and “One Sweet Day” (Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men).

The longevity of the song is primarily attributed to Billboard’s chart rule that original versions and remixes are considered a single listing when calculating the metrics of a Hot 100 title.

After the brouhaha that followed the initial release of “Old Town Road” – is it rap? Is it country? – Lil Nas X recruited country veteran Billy Ray Cyrus for the first remix, which is what propelled it to the No. 1 slot on the overall Hot 100.

In recent weeks, Lil Nas X strategically dropped different versions of the same song – with fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, 12-year-old yodeler Mason Ramsey, and last week, to essentially assure it would break the record, with RM of BTS, dubbed the “Seoul Town Road Remix.”

(Billboard takes a look at how remixes have aided the chart positions of other songs over the years.)

It's been an eventful year for the 20-year-old fledgling artist born Montero Lamar Hill. As he recently acknowledged in an Instagram post, it wasn't that long ago that he was sleeping on his sister's floor in Atlanta with no money and few musical prospects. Since then, Lil Nas X's song has captured international attention, he released a solo EP and, on the last day of World Pride Month, announced that he is gay.

He returned to social media on Monday with a heartfelt expression of gratitude to those who helped him achieve the milestone.

View this post on Instagram

last year in october 🎃 , as a struggling artist 🤦🏾‍♂️starting to lose faith in what i could be, i went looking for beats on youtube👨🏾‍💻. i remember clicking on so many generic sounding beats🥁😞trying to find the right one for me🤔. when suddenly i came across a country-trap 👨🏾‍🌾🏚sounding masterpiece🤩. i immediately knew i would make something special out of it🤯💭⚡️! my sister👩🏽 told me i had little time left ⏳before i had to leave her house 🏠 after being there for months📆 promoting my music🎶 online 🤳🏾and not helping🤷🏾‍♂️ her out much. i was so upset 😔! i used it as motivation for the song🎼! i jokingly/seriously saw myself as a loner 🚶🏾‍♂️ cowboy🤠 needing to 🏃🏾run away from it all🎭! I went out 👟👟 on my sister’s back porch 😶 and listened to the beat 🎧OVER 🔄& OVER 🔄& OVER🔄!! then it came to me😳!! in my best singing voice😮 i sung🎶 “YEAHHH IM GONNA TAKE MY HORSE🐎 TO THE OLD TOWN ROAD 🛣 IM GONNA RIDEEEE TIL I CANT NO MORE 😔😔” I LOVED IT ALREADY! i started to work on it👨🏾‍🎨 👉🏾EVERY SINGLE DAY👈🏾. it needed to be funny🤣, it needed to be catchy🤗🎵, it needed to be hip hop 🗣🔥, it needed to be country🐴🍺, & it needed to be short👌🏾!! by the time i was finished 😅 setting it up 💁🏾‍♂️ i was out of my sister’s crib🏡 and at my brothers 👨🏾‍🦱 place. on ☃️🌬december 2️⃣nd i went into the studio 🎤🎤🎼 & recorded OLD TOWN ROAD🐎🤩✨ & put it out the exact same 🗓day!! did i know it would become the longest running number 1️⃣ song of all time? 🤔NO! ‼️ but i am so thankful🙏🏾 that this blessing ✨ has been placed upon me🤠. this song has changed my life🤩🤩🤩 and the way i see the world🌎🌍around me🙋🏾‍♂️ in less than a year📈. thank you to every single person☝️ who has been apart of this journey🌄. as i said😯 before, it’s just the beginning! 🖤🤠🐎⚡️

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