9781422271339

Breakthrough A talented teenager who spent a chunk of his childhood growing up in a housing project in the shadows of Atlanta delivered a mammoth, history-making hit in 2019 – captivating the country and turning heads throughout the music industry – while sling-shooting his way to superstardom. When rapper Lil Nas X released “OldTown Road’’ to the Internet, it quickly went viral on the social media platformTikTok. That was the springboard to a meteoric rise up the Billboard Hot 100 list, and when country music star Billy Ray Cyrus joined him on a remix of the song in April 2019, it rocketed to the chart’s cherished top spot and didn’t budge for a record-setting 19 weeks. The historic occupancy bypassed the record runs of “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, and “Despacito’’ by Luis Fonsi and DaddyYankee. The quirky blending of country and hip-hop – by a black rapper – produced the most listened to song of the year, resonating with music fans of all ages. It even landed on the summer playlist of former US President Barack Obama. In its record ride at the top, it broke the one-week US streaming record with a whopping 143 million streams.

6

Lil Nas X