The Case for “Old Town Road” & The Country Chart Recognition It Deserves

When I arrived at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, I was quickly immersed in West Texas traditions. This included an undesired baptism into the abyss of country music. The inescapable honky-tonk sounds flooded the dormitory halls and our football locker room. I hated it. As far as I knew, country music contradicted everything about my culture. Hip hop better defined who I was. So when the teammates on my football team played music after practices in the locker room — rotating genres for specific days of the week (Modern Mondays, Hip Hop Tuesdays, and Western Wednesdays) — Tuesdays were a moment when I could openly reconnect to my roots, my culture.

But after practice one Wednesday, the unthinkable happened. I started singing along with a country song. I somehow memorized the lyrics to “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean. But even worse — I liked it. Before long, songs like “Honey Bee” (Blake Shelton), “Chicken Fried” (Zac Brown Band), “Gettin’ You Home” (Chris Young), and “Dirt Road Anthem” (Jason Aldean) became personal favorites on Wednesdays. So by the time I graduated from HSU, I developed an appreciation and love for country music and it’s culture.

With the same disgust and dismay I initially expressed for country music, many artists and fans of the genre show a similar distaste…