Country Road
“I got the horses in the back.” The iconic song, Old Town Road, has become surprisingly popular- and quickly.
The song first started to become popular on the app TikTok. Kids making dances to remixes of the song on the app, soon turned into them searching for it on Spotify and Apple Music. Now, hearing legendary verses from the song is not uncommon in the high school generation.
But why is it so loved? The song is not usually what kids seem to be liking these days. For one, there is no swearing or mention of drugs/ alcohol which are the topics of most hits these days.
However, the song does have a catchy beat and it mentions popular brands such as ‘Wrangler’, ‘Gucci’ and ‘Porsche’.
Let’s dive deeper into the meaning of the lyrics in the song. “I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road.” While these words seem simple and straightforward, there is actually an alternative meaning. The verse is actually about the road to success, and riding it.
“I’m gonna ride till I can’t no more” is about never wanting to stop being successful, and continuing on the road of success for as long as one can.
“Can’t nobody tell me nothing,” represents how Lil Nas X (the artist who came out with the song) has not let anyone stop him from his road to success.
The catchy tune grabs the attention of the listener. Perhaps what makes the song so appealing to adolescents is the catchy tune and the refreshing topics of cowboys and horse riding that are fun to listen to.
Despite what you may think, the song has a country feel, but also a Trap beat which has most popular in the teen generation recently. This categorizes the song as Country Trap.
But the song really broke borders when Billy Ray Cyrus came out with a remix. Having the voice of a Disney Channel dad sing the lyrics to one of top songs in the music industry is monumental for this generation of teenagers.
When the song made it on the Billboard country singles, it soon got removed, due to the fact that it did not fit the general ‘country sound’.
But why is it not acceptable to start a new genre? Even if it doesn’t fit into a specific category, it is still popular and a success. This song breaks borders, and it’s starting its own genre.
Is a song not acceptable if it doesn’t fit into a specific category? Even if it is popular on multiple platforms?
The song is creating its own genre, and by doing that it is advancing music as we know it and opening doors for more artists and songs.
When Billy Ray Cyrus, the country singer from the 90s and early 2000s, came out with his remix, it seemed almost like a blast to the Billboard, by making it officially country.
We do not know the true reason, however, for why Cyrus came out with it. All we know is that the remix is a hit, and is becoming even more popular than the original version.
NY Times Response
While I admire the NY times and the authors who work for it, there was one article written a few years ago that I disagree with.
The article was about how artists like Kanye West and Beyonce were using jazz in their songs. I agree with this, however the article also talked about how rap used jazz as well.
While rap sometimes uses the same type of instruments, the jazz appeal is completely absent.
Jazz is classical, respectable, and soothing. Rap however, is aggressive, trashy and does not have much music to it.
Certain types of rap songs sometimes use jazz vibes, but the genre of rap is almost the complete opposite of jazz.
Jazz music serves a different purpose than rap. Jazz is classical and aged. It has been apart of our culture, young or old, for decades.
Rap however, is modern and young. Older generations don’t understand the musical aspect of rap.
I suppose that in the future, the two genres could mix, but for now they are divided and serve different purposes.
Op-Ed: Rap – An Influence Ruining a Generation
Think of the worst swear word you can think of. Then the next. Now put all the swear words you can think of into a song. Are these lyrics appropriate for a 12 year old?
The words, subjects, and phrases in rap songs are changing the way this generation of teenagers look at themselves and each other.
Kids as young as 12 are now engaging in rap music. These songs mention substance abuse, like cocaine, heroine, marijuana, acid, alcohol, etc.
The vocabulary that rappers use in their songs is too mature for young listeners. The movies that use mature language and reference sexual content are rated for adults. Children don’t fully understand these subjects.
So what’s different about rap music? Young adolescents who listen to and engage in these songs will not understand them. Yet, they will begin using the language and phrases from the songs.
You may be thinking, ‘Can’t you just find a clean version of the song?’ Yes, however, you know the exact word that would take the place of that slight pause.
Also, just because the song is ‘clean’ doesn’t mean that it doesn’t mention mature topics like sex, drugs and alcohol. When young kids get influenced by these songs, it ruins the way they think of these topics.
Matthew McKinney, 17, overdosed on heroin. Chelsea Marie Heptig, 17, overdosed on ecstasy. Sean Brown, 15, overdosed on LSD (Lysergic Acid). Irma Perez, 14, overdosed on ecstasy. All of these victims didn’t even reach 18 years old. The scariest part is that all of these overdoses occurred in 2018.
Songs like, ‘I Feel Like Dying,’ by Lil Wayne, ‘Pursuit of Happiness,’ by Kid Cudi, Ratat, and MGMT, ‘Move That Dope,’ by Future, ‘Crack,’ by 2 Chainz, ‘Wake Up in the Sky,’ by Gucci Mane, Bruno Mars, and Kodak Black, are about these drugs.
These songs were all released before 2008. That means that the kids who overdosed had access to them for at least six years.
The reason that this is such a big problem is because rap has now overthrown every other genre of music.
Rap has been statistically shown to be the most popular genre of music in 2018 in the U.S. This means that adolescents are severely exposed to it.
The kids who listen to this are often not old enough to be doing these things. Artists who are idols are doing these drugs, which encourages their fans to do the same.
The songs romanticize drugs, making them seem like the key to a perfect life. When in reality, having a child do these things will completely ruin their lives.
Young listeners will think, ‘If this artist did drugs and were successful then if I do them I will be successful too.’
This mindset may seem naive, but the young listeners of these songs are just that. They have not experienced adult life and are being exposed to disturbing subjects.
In order to solve this problem, we should censor the foul language in these songs, and even sensor the words that aren’t appropriate.
We obviously cannot control who listens to these songs, but we can spread the awareness of the consequences of rap music.
Ryan, Patrick. “Rap Overtakes Rock as the Most Popular Genre among Music Fans. Here’s Why.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 Jan. 2018, http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/01/03/rap-overtakes-rock-most-popular-genre-among-music-fans-heres-why/990873001/.
“At What Age Should People Be Allowed to Listen to Rap?” Genius, genius.com/discussions/98459-At-what-age-should-people-be-allowed-to-listen-to-rap.
“Music Album Consumption in the U.S. by Genre 2018 | Statistic.” Statista, http://www.statista.com/statistics/310746/share-music-album-sales-us-genre/.
“Drug Overdoses in Youth.” NIDA for Teens, 1 Feb. 2019, teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/drug-overdoses-youth.
“Get Smart About Drugs.” Irma Perez, 14, Ecstasy | Get Smart About Drugs, http://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/consequences/true-stories/irma-perez-14-ecstasy.
“The Best Rap Songs About Drugs.” Ranker, http://www.ranker.com/list/best-rap-songs-about-drugs/ranker-hip-hop?ref=collections&l=2265932&collectionId=1959&li_source=LI&li_medium=desktop-top-collection.
Listen Up! 