At last night's 2019 BET Awards, odd but wonderful duo Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus teamed up for a saloon-themed performance of "Old Town Road."
Bringing the "ride till I can't no more" lyric to life, Lil Nas and Cyrus opened the song by riding on an empty red carpet toward the performance entrance atop horses. This was captured as a video montage, which also featured tumbleweeds. Forever on-theme, these two.
On the stage, set like a saloon, the pair sang their chart-topping hit among dancing cowgirls in daisy dukes and all other such cowperson regalia. Lil Nas amped up the camp factor in a bright yellow fringe jacket and matching pants and boots lined with stars.
Just last week, Lil Nas released his debut 7 EP with the original version of "Old Town Road" and its now ubiquitous Cyrus remix. Since it has been in the zeitgeist, the collaboration has become something of a (necessary) lightning rod, yielding controversial fashion collaborations with Wrangler and opening up discussions about race, the charts, and who gets to "own" the legacy of country music.
Either way, it says a lot that the BET Awards, a historically Black awards show highlighting the entertainment industry's brightest stars, is a stage upon which a performance like this can occur. Most of all, it says that Black contributions to country music can never be erased.
Photo via Getty
MORE ON PAPER
Entertainment
Cooper Koch Plays the Long Game
Story by Ivan Guzman / Photography by Ruben Chamorro / Styling by Marissa Pelly / Grooming by Kennedy Trisler