After a record-breaking 19 weeks as Billboard's No. 1 single, Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" has been dethroned.
The country-rap juggernaut was unseated by fellow Gen Z icon Billie Eilish and her single "bad guy," from latest album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? This marks her first No. 1 single.
After the news broke last night (August 19), Lil Nas X tweeted, "congratulations to billie eilish!! u deserve this!!"
The story of "Old Town Road" has been one for the ages. The song first shot to viral fame on social media video network TikTok, eventually reaching the Billboard charts. The song's notoriety grew after Billboard removed "Old Town Road" from its Hot Country Songs chart, claiming it "does not embrace enough elements of today's country music to chart in its current version," according to a Billboard statement.
After the ensuing controversy, Lil Nas X teamed up with country great Billy Ray Cyrus, and the resulting remix vaulted the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100, where it stayed for over four months. The song's popularity has been bolstered by a series of further remixes featuring Diplo, Mason "Walmart Yodel Kid" Ramsey and Young Thug, and BTS rapper RM.
"Old Town Road" broke the record for longest consecutive tenure at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a record that was previously set at 16 weeks in 1996 by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" and tied in 2017 by "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber.
Read Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' reactions to the dethroning below.
The country-rap juggernaut was unseated by fellow Gen Z icon Billie Eilish and her single "bad guy," from latest album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? This marks her first No. 1 single.
After the news broke last night (August 19), Lil Nas X tweeted, "congratulations to billie eilish!! u deserve this!!"
The story of "Old Town Road" has been one for the ages. The song first shot to viral fame on social media video network TikTok, eventually reaching the Billboard charts. The song's notoriety grew after Billboard removed "Old Town Road" from its Hot Country Songs chart, claiming it "does not embrace enough elements of today's country music to chart in its current version," according to a Billboard statement.
After the ensuing controversy, Lil Nas X teamed up with country great Billy Ray Cyrus, and the resulting remix vaulted the song to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100, where it stayed for over four months. The song's popularity has been bolstered by a series of further remixes featuring Diplo, Mason "Walmart Yodel Kid" Ramsey and Young Thug, and BTS rapper RM.
"Old Town Road" broke the record for longest consecutive tenure at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a record that was previously set at 16 weeks in 1996 by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" and tied in 2017 by "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber.
Read Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' reactions to the dethroning below.
old town road was made on the producer kio's birthday, went number one on my birthday, and left number one the week of billy ray's birthday.
— nope (@LilNasX) August 20, 2019
