Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” was 2019’s most endearing and unexpected musical success story. The song went from a modest YouTube upload to a TikTok sensation, to an infamous Billboard Country chart outcast, to finally becoming a Hot 100 record-breaker as the track with the longest consecutive streak at No. 1 at 17 weeks. Part of Nas’ X’s strategy to dominate the Billboard charts was to consistently release remixes of his popular single. His debut Grammy performance of is a reminder of why that strategy worked.
Lil Nas X kicked off his rendition of “Old Town Road” playing the mandolin in a living room fittingly adorned with a Kobe Bryant jersey in a moment that is undoubtedly a highlight of the evening. The stage turned out to be a revolving set that featured acts from the many, many remixes of the single so far. Most notably, Nas X was joined by BTS (“Seoul Town Road”), Mason Ramsey, Diplo, and of course, Billy Ray Cyrus. While Young Thug was absent on the stage, Nas was the surprise guest. It was really cute.
