What Type of Country (Music) Is This

Billboard has just announced that "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus will spend its twelfth week at the top of its "Hot 100" chart.  While it is not a bad song, there has been some controversy surrounding it.  The main point of contention is what type of genre it is.  When it was first debuting on the charts, the magazine allowed it to appear on the Country charts (This was the original version, not the remix with Cyrus.). However, this decision was quickly changed, and the song would no longer appear there.  It still isn't showing up on the main chart.  Some people claimed that is was country enough and should be appearing there.  I'ver heard the original version and can honestly say, no.  That version was not county.  Don't get me wrong.  It is not a bad song.  It does feature tropes common in country music.  Yes, it is basically sung in rap, but that is not a problem with me.  Rap and country can blend, and quite nicely I do say.  The problem is that the song is more of a rap/hip-hop parody of a country music song.  Again, comedy can work with country music, too.  Just look at artists from Ray Stevens to Cletus T. Judd.  The problem is when you mix everything together.  The sum of its parts take it away from country music just enough that Billboard was correct in removing it from those charts.  Now, when the remixed version came out, the new portion with Cyrus is more traditionally country, albeit with tinges of rock.  This portion has a feel of "Life's Been Good to Me So Far."  Yet, it is still more country than the original portion, even if it has fewer tropes found in the genre.  The song is also doing well on the Rap charts.   Personally, I kind of like the song.  The added portion helps to add both length and gravitas to an otherwise slight song.  Honestly, country music is not my favorite.  While I don't actively hate the genre, I usually don't listen to it.  Sure, I sometimes like a crossover smash, but I rarely listen to pure country music, when I have a choice or a chance.  This is especially true since it is now the frontrunner for the number one song of the year.  As of right now, only Adrianna Grande's two smash number ones, "Thank U, Next" and "7 Rings," have any chance of upending it.  Other songs could wind up being better, but those chances are slim.  Trust me, as I have been analyzing these charts for decades.  I can see the patterns forming. Now, let's see what the follow up is.