Ride 'til I can't no more: Lil Nas X sets new Billboard record for most weeks at No.1
His country-trap song, Old Town Road, broke records spending its 17th week on top of the Hot 100 chart
It's one sweet day for Lil Nas X: The breakthrough rapper's viral Old Town Road has broken the Billboard record set by Mariah Carey's One Sweet Day for most weeks at No. 1.
Lil Nas X accomplishes the feat this week as his country-trap song spends its 17th week on top of the Hot 100 chart. Carey and Boyz II Men's duet set the record in 1996, and the only song to come close to breaking it was the ubiquitous international hit Despacito, which tied the 16-week record in 2017.
Winner's Circle: <a href="https://twitter.com/LilNasX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LilNasX</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OldTownRoad?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OldTownRoad</a> breaks the <a href="https://twitter.com/billboardcharts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@billboardcharts</a> record with a 17th week atop the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hot100?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hot100</a> <a href="https://t.co/HZ9Jawgab5">https://t.co/HZ9Jawgab5</a> <a href="https://t.co/SftbpLhfTo">pic.twitter.com/SftbpLhfTo</a>
—@billboardThe rapper also tweeted out his excitement at breaking the historic record and described how just last year he was losing faith in his ability as an artist.
<a href="https://t.co/F7qEaSFf8K">pic.twitter.com/F7qEaSFf8K</a>
—@LilNasXOld Town Road, which has achieved most of its success through audio streaming, was originally a solo song but 20-year-old Lil Nas X added Billy Ray Cyrus to the track.
The song also has remix versions featuring Diplo, Young Thug, Mason Ramsey and BTS, and Billboard counts the original song and its remixes as one when calculating chart position, thus helping Old Town Road stay on top.
Cyrus said in a statement Monday: "17 is my new favorite number," also referring to his debut album Some Gave All, which spent 17 weeks at No. 1 in 1992. "My goal was always to make music that would touch people's lives around the world."
Congratulations my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/LilNasX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LilNasX</a> You sir are what ya call a "game changer ". Love ya man. You are a light. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#shine</a> <a href="https://t.co/PxR4cStdjF">pic.twitter.com/PxR4cStdjF</a>
—@billyraycyrusOld Town Road initially was in a bit of controversy in March when Billboard removed it from its country charts, deeming it not country enough (it peaked at No. 19 on the country charts). But the drama didn't hurt the song; it only propelled it.
Songs have come close to displacing Old Town Road from the top spot — including Billie Eilish's Bad Guy and a pair of Taylor Swift singles — but ultimately were unsuccessful.
Swift was successful in 2017 when her song Look What You Made Me Do stopped Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber's Despacito from reaching a 17th week at No. 1. Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me ended Carey and Boyz II Men's epic run in 1996.