Link to tweet

Hi. Former country music label person here.

@LilNasX was kicked off the Billboard country charts because the (mainstream) terrestrial country music market is filled to a surfeit with racism and bigotry.

Allow me to explain...
If you know me, you know I once worked for a large country music label in Nashville. (The largest, actually.) I won't name them here, because I don't like when lawyers call me.

Was the label populated *mostly* with racists? No.

But were there a lot of racists? Yes.
Using @billboard's justifications for saying "Old Town Road" doesn't contain enough country elements, I could just as easily say "GIRL" by @MarenMorris doesn't belong on the Billboard Country charts.

I love "GIRL" by Maren Morris. But it is, objectively speaking, a pop song.
My favorite album last year was "Golden Hour" by @KaceyMusgraves. (Hey neighbor!)

Many songs from that album have performed well on Billboard's Country chart. They're definitely pop-leaning, but have enough country elements to be "Country" enough for "Country" people.
What's the difference between Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and Lil Nas X?

Lil Nas X doesn't play guitar.

Just kidding.

Well, I mean, he still doesn't play guitar, but the real problem here is that Lil Nas X is a black man, from Black Hollywood, AKA Atlanta.
A long time ago, white people heard the music Ray Charles was making, and they said to themselves, "What if we did what he was doing, but made it shittier, and whiter?"

Thus, modern country music was born.

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