Listening in on Country’s Color Lines

A Panel Discussion on Lil Nas X and ‘Old Town Road’

 

Wednesday, October 9

 

4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Logan Center 802

 

 

After being kicked off the Billboard country charts for not “fitting” the genre, ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X spent the next 19 weeks at Number 1 on the Hot 100, making ‘country trap’ the sound of the summer. The song’s controversy on the country charts raises intriguing questions about how genre and audience are defined at the intersection of race, sound, and musical style. But what does its wider success tell us about the interplay of these elements in popular listenership more broadly? Where does a sound like ‘country trap’ come from, and where might it lead? And how does Trent Reznor fit into all of this?

 

For our first meeting of the year, we invite you to join us in this discussion! Our panelists for the meeting will be announced shortly.

 

Refreshments will be served! Please feel free to contact either Anna (abgatdula@uchicago.edu) or Alex (murphya1@uchicago.edu) with any questions or concerns. Persons who need assistance should notify the coordinators in advance.