Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” Keeps Taylor Swift Out Of The #1 Spot, Again
The juggernaut rolls on. Billboard reports that Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ implausible country-rap smash “Old Town Road” is once again the #1 song on the Hot 100, a position that the song has now held for 12 weeks in a row. In the process, “Old Town Road” has defeated some heavyweights. Taylor Swift and Drake both had new songs out this week. It didn’t matter. “Old Town Road” reigns supreme.
This isn’t the first time “Old Town Road” has kept a new Taylor Swift song out of the #1 spot. A month and a half ago, Swift released “ME!,” the first single from her forthcoming album Lover. The song came with an expensive video and a whole lot of fanfare, but it only managed to peak at #2. This week, Swift debuts at #2 with “You Need To Calm Down,” another song with a flashy video and a whole media narrative built around it. Meanwhile, Drake, who released two new songs shortly after his Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship, only managed to get as high as #7 with the Rick Ross collab “Money In The Grave.”
Thus far, the following songs have peaked at #2 behind “Old Town Road”: Post Malone’s “Wow.,” Swift’s “ME!,” Shawn Mendes’ “If I Can’t Have You,” Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s “I Don’t Care,” Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” and now Swift’s “I Need You To Calm Down.” If it holds on for another four weeks, “Old Town Road” will tie the record for most weeks at #1, a record jointly held by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito.” Incredible.