ADVERTISEMENT

How "Old Town Road" Could Earn Both Lil Nas X and Nine Inch Nails a Grammy

How Lil Nas X and Nine Inch Nails Came Together
  • Lil Nas X is nominated for six Grammys, including three for "Old Town Road."
  • Everyone knows about Billy Ray Cyrus' involvement with the chart-topper, but the song actually also samples a little-known Nine Inch Nails song.
  • Trent Reznor has commented on the song and its success.

When Lil Nas X first recorded "Old Town Road," his Grammy-nominated, superstar-making smash hit of a song, it cost him $20 and took him less than an hour. Now, a little more than a year later, he's nominated for six Grammys, three of them for his "Old Town Road (Remix)" with Billy Ray Cyrus. And while it's hard to picture anyone not knowing "Old Town Road" at this point, what a lot of people probably don't know is that Mr. Ray Cyrus isn't the only established rocker who played a part in the song's production. The backing track of "Old Town Road" actually heavily samples a song from a 2008 Nine Inch Nails album.

The song, "34 Ghosts IV," was actually included in a beat made by Dutch producer YoungKio, which Lil Nas X subsequently bought online for $30. YoungKio says that before he made the beat interpolating the NIN song, he'd found it on YouTube. Prior to that, he'd never heard of Nine Inch Nails or the group's longtime leader, Trent Reznor.

According to Business Insider , while "Ghosts" was released under a Creative Commons License, which gives "fans the ability to remix and redistribute the work from a multitude of different formats," the sample itself was never cleared to appear on the beat that YoungKio put up for sale, or on Lil Nas X's original song. Once the track started gaining steam, Reznor was contacted regarding the sample, and he approved it; he's now listed as a producer and songwriter of "Old Town Road."

In an interview with Rolling Stone , Reznor called the song undeniably hooky, but his further quotes paint the picture that he definitely feels a little funny about a song that he made flying under the radar for more than a decade, then absolutely blowing up.

ADVERTISEMENT

The reason I havent stepped in to comment anything about it is, I dont feel its my place to play any kind of social critic to that, he told Rolling Stone. It was a material that was used in a significant way and it turned into something that became something else, and those guys should be the ones the spotlight is on. They asked if I wanted to do a cameo in the video, and it was flattering, and I dont mean to be disrespectful, but I dont feel like its my place to shine a light on me for that. I say that with complete respect.

It's not the first time one of Reznor's songs has been appropriated well beyond its initial means. While his "Ghosts" song has become the all-time longest #1 in "Old Town Road," his 1996 song "Hurt" became a bigger hit than ever when it was covered by Johnny Cash in 2002 on what would be the legendary singer's final album.

The music from Ghosts that turned into Old Town Road certainly didnt come from as intimate a place as the song Hurt did, but its still something that I remember what I was thinking about when we did it and then you hear it turned into this other thing it feels strange at first, he again told RS. But I thought he did a good job with that.

But the question remains, forever. Does Reznor even like "Old Town Road"? The ever-stoic Nine Inch Nails frontman and soundtrack composer pulled his poker face back just enough for us to know .

Its been stuck in my head enough, he said. Lets put it that way.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

The largest snake in the world Ana Julia is dead — unknown gunmen suspected

The largest snake in the world Ana Julia is dead — unknown gunmen suspected

10 sexual benefits of watermelon for men and women

10 sexual benefits of watermelon for men and women

8 sexual benefits of ginger for men and women

8 sexual benefits of ginger for men and women

10 Sex Positions for Super-Deep Penetration

10 Sex Positions for Super-Deep Penetration

What It Feels Like to Use a Butt Plug While Masturbating

What It Feels Like to Use a Butt Plug While Masturbating

11 Ways Men Can Make Their Orgasms Even Better

11 Ways Men Can Make Their Orgasms Even Better

10 latest senator styles for men

10 latest senator styles for men

Why You Should Try Anal Fingering Before Having Anal Sex

Why You Should Try Anal Fingering Before Having Anal Sex

5 Sex Positions to Stimulate Her G-Spot

5 Sex Positions to Stimulate Her G-Spot

Dr Akpa Chidinma of Curvy Girl Essentials champions inclusivity in beauty standards

Dr Akpa Chidinma of Curvy Girl Essentials champions inclusivity in beauty standards

Pocketwatching in Relationships: What it is and how to deal with it

Pocketwatching in Relationships: What it is and how to deal with it

Money or love? Which is the most important in relationships, according to science?

Money or love? Which is the most important in relationships, according to science?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT