Lil Nas X ‘Old Town Road’ Breaks Billboard Hot 100 Record
Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” is the No. 1 song in America for a 17th straight week, and that’s a record. The hip-hop/country music collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus just broke a mark held by Boyz II Men and Luis Fonsi.
The 16-week Billboard Hot 100 Chart record was set by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men with "One Sweet Day" in 1995. Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber tied the mark with "Despacito" in 2017. “Old Town Road” has held the No. 1 spot since a controversy over whether or not it belonged on country music charts.
Despite remakes with Cyrus, Mason Ramsey and more, it's not considered country enough for the Billboard Hot Country chart. It has also received minimal airplay, barely cracking the Airplay chart.
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"Old Town Road" is the debut single for Lil Nas X, an Atlanta-based musician whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill. It’s been a turbulent year for him, with news of his song’s massive streaming and sales success coming alongside a lawsuit over a separate song, criticism from those within country music, high-profile performances at Stagecoach and more and news that he is gay. That’s a lifetime of highs and lows packed into four short months.
"I may buy Mariah Carey some roses and send them to her because I love her," Lil Nas X says of setting the record, per TMZ.
The video for “Old Town Road” has more than 240 million views on YouTube to date.
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