Late last month, Billboarddecided to remove Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" from its earlier designation in the country music genre because the track "does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music."
"Upon further review, it was determined that 'Old Town Road' by Lil Nas X does not currently merit inclusion on Billboard‘s country charts," Billboardexplained to Rolling Stone. "When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While 'Old Town Road' incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version."
The song's removal from Billboard's country charts has turned into a polarizing debate with Billy Ray Cyrus, who's now featured on the track's remix, vouching for Lil Nas X.
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"I believe whenever you’re trying something new, it’s always going to get some kind of bad reception," he says.
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But instead of simply voicing your support of "Old Town Road" returning to the Billboard country charts, why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Sportsbook Bovada is allowing users to place bets on whether or not the original song will make its back on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in 2019, as well as placing a wager on Lil Nas X appearing on that same chart in 2019 with a different song.
Since being taken off the country charts, "Old Town Road" has climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
