Old Town Road by Lil Nas X - The Definition Of A One Hit Wonder.

So, I may be a bit of a self-proclaimed meme lord. I do spend my time browsing Reddit looking for the latest meme formats and generally anything I find funny. However, I have never, and will never, go onto the cesspool that is TikTok. This monstrosity rose up from the pewtrid remains of Vine to become the new funny video platform, and I don't understand why. It is full of children and attention seekers, and you could make the same case for places like Reddit, Vine or any major social media platform. But' at least on places like Reddit, Tumblr, YouTube and even Vine, there were standards. TikTok caters to the lowest of scum, those who produce content with as little effort or creativity as possible, who always copy something that shows even the slightest chance of going viral.

What exactly does this have to do with Old Town Road, the break-out hit by newcomer Lil Nas X? Well, TikTok has a lot to do with that success, as it has become the soundtrack to the latest viral vomit on the site, which is the cowboy transformation meme, in which the song plays in the background, and once the beat drops and the first verse starts, a person or people dressed normally will suddenly transform into a cowboy or cowgirl. And I don't get it. After such cool memes tied to music such as the mannequin challenge (which I actually took part in before my Grade 11 AP Maths November exam along with all my classmates), this is where it all leads?

Anyways, enough about how the song got popular, and let me actually talk about the song. What do I actually like about Old Town Road? For one, I really like the beat, which, apparently, is a sample of a song from a completely different genre. It starts out like a normal country song, with a banjo playing, and then, once Lil Nas X has delivered the chorus, the beat drops and trap snares join the banjo. It is most certainly a different sounding song from everything else on the charts right now, and it works to its advantage.

Now, what about the actual verses? Well, they're nothing to write home about. I mean, the first time you hear the fusion of typical rap and country subjects, its mildly interesting, but they quickly wear out their welcome, and the fact that they are so short and the chorus is a bit repetitive means that I can only enjoy listening to this song once and then it starts to worm its way into you mind. It is most definitely catchy, but being extremely catchy doesn't necessarily mean a song is good. Remember the Hampsterdance Song?

Speaking of the Hampsterdance Song, Old Town Road shares a lot of qualities with that song. It's extremely catchy, has a distinctive sound, and is a meme at the moment. These are all the qualities that a one-hit wonder has. And that's my biggest problem with Old Town Road (and the Hampsterdance Song, for that matter, but I want to retire that example back to the early 2000s, where it belongs). Old Town Road has become so big, that I don't think Lil Nas X will ever escape its shadow. The novelty of Old Town Road, being a country-trap fusion, will wear thin, and I don't think LIl Nas X will ever have a song that'll be as big as Old Town Road.

Anyways, what would I give the song? I have to admit, I really enjoyed Old Town Road the first time I heard it, but after having it drilled into my mind (I am listening to it as I type this review out), I have to say, its charm and novelty do wear thin, so I will be giving the song a 2,75/5, which is not bad, its just ever so slightly above average. I hope Lil Nas X doesn't turn out a one hit wonder, as I'd love for him to continue experimenting with this sound he's created, but something tells me that we'll be hearing more and more remixes of Old Town Road (he's just done one with Billy Ray Cyrus) before we hear any new songs from him.