Music Video: Postcolonial theory
Postcolonial theory
Wider reading on race and Old Town RoadThe Black cowboy has been described as “erased from American culture” because the imagery tied to Americana has been overwhelmingly white. Because of this, the role and influence of Black cowboys has been overlooked and not widely recognized. This is why projects like Malandro’s Instagram archive and exhibitions highlighting Black cowboys are so important, as they help bring attention back to their place in Western history.
The aesthetic has been reflected in the fashion industry through brands incorporating western-inspired looks into their designs. For example, Pyer Moss included these influences in its fall/winter 2018 runway show and even featured the Compton Cowboys in the lookbook for its collaboration with Reebok, showing how this style and its cultural roots have gained recognition in fashion.
It suggests that race is a big issue in the country music community because even though “Old Town Road” had clear country elements, it was removed from the charts. A lot of people saw this as unfair and argued that it shows how Black artists are often excluded or not fully accepted in country music, even when they fit the genre.
The song is presented as country through features like Lil Nas X’s “Southern twang”, which is “reminiscent” of other country artists, and the fact it “incorporates a banjo”. Also, the music video uses “aesthetics associated with country music”, like Western visuals, making it clearly fit the country and western style.
Black artists have helped shape genres like “rock and roll, punk, riot grrrl, and electronic music”, as well as country music, even though their influence has been “historically overshadowed”.
I think the Yeehaw movement is mainly about bringing attention to something that’s been ignored for a long time. Black cowboys have “gone unsung in history”, so now people are trying to fix that by “highlighting the impact black artists have had on country music”. It’s also about “paying homage to this nearly forgotten community”, which shows it’s about respect and representation. Also, by “archiving it so that it won’t be forgotten in the future”, it shows people don’t want this history to be erased again. Overall, it’s being pushed by social media and pop culture, which is helping make it more visible and normalised.
The video mainly challenges traditional Black stereotypes in media. Instead of reinforcing ideas like hypermasculinity, aggression or criminality often linked to Black male representation, Lil Nas X is shown as playful and non-threatening. Through bricolage, the video mixes cowboy iconography with modern hip-hop aesthetics, as well as a mix of white and black culture which breaks down fixed stereotypes and creates a more fluid representation. However, you could argue there are slight reinforcements of stereotypes in the modern scenes, like the use of money and luxury imagery, essentially promoting capitalism and the American dream ideology but you could argue that these are presented in a more ironic way rather than being central to his identity.
Gilroy suggests that Black individuals experience a divided identity due to living within a dominant white culture. However, Old Town Road could be seen as challenging this idea because Lil Nas X doesn’t appear conflicted between identities. Instead, he embraces cultural hybridity by blending Black hip-hop culture with white-dominated country music. This creates a sense of cultural conviviality, where different cultures coexist rather than clash. The video also breaks down binary oppositions between Black/white and rural/urban, as he moves between settings without any identity struggle or tension.
Hall would argue that representation is constructed and can be reworked through media. In Old Town Road, Lil Nas X twists the stereotypical cowboy image (which is usually white, masculine and rural) and re-presenting it through a Black artist. This completely shifts the meaning of the cowboy stereotype and challenges dominant ideologies about race and genre. The video also uses hybridity, mixing country, rap, and meme culture together, which shows that representations are not fixed but constantly changing. This creates a more fluid identity for both Black people and Americans breaking down traditional cultural boundaries.
4) Are there any examples of Alvarado's theory of black stereotypes in the Old Town Road video? Why/why not?
Alvarado identifies stereotypes such as “dangerous,” “humorous,” “exotic,” and “pitied.” In Old Town Road, most of these are slightly conveyed. Lil Nas X is not shown as dangerous or threatening, . However, some would debate that him being an outlaw with a stolen bag of cash is shown as criminal activity therefore linking him to that dangerous stereotype. The feature of Chris Rock reinforces the humorous stereotype due to the comedic jokes inputted in the video. The exotic stereotype may apply for the typical western brown cowboy hats and jackets being colourful and vibrant (pink) in the video. Then the pitied stereotype can be shown through the urban neighbourhood. However, genre-blending also stops the representation from becoming one-dimensional. Rather than fitting into a stereotype, Lil Nas X is shown in a more complex and playful way, which challenges simplified media portrayals of Black identity.
bell hooks is really useful for Old Town Road because Lil Nas X represents multiple identities that overlap at the same time. He is Black, homosexual, and also working across two very different genres (country and hip-hop), which creates a strong example of intersectionality. (These identities don’t exist separately, they all interact and affect how he is represented and received). The video uses hybridity and bricolage by mixing cowboy iconography, rap aesthetics and internet meme culture, which reflects how his identity doesn’t fit into one fixed category. This challenges binary oppositions like Black/white, straight/gay and country/rap. Instead, it creates a more fluid representation that fits with cultural convergence online. Overall, the video shows how intersectionality shapes representation in a more modern and complex way, rather than reducing him to a single stereotype or identity.
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A/A* extension task:
Read This Is America: Music, Politics and Protest in MM65 (p14). You can find this in our Media Magazine archive. This is a great article on the power of music video in American culture.
The article explains that This Is America is powerful because of its constant tension and “tonally jarring” contrast between sound and image. It opens with a joyful African choir and calm guitar playing, but this is suddenly interrupted by violence, creating contrast throughout the video. Childish Gambino performs dance routines while serious events happen in the background, making it both entertaining and uncomfortable. The video is also full of “Easter eggs” and hidden references to racism, police brutality, and historical events, which encourages audiences to rewatch and decode it online. Overall, it doesn’t give a clear message but instead creates ambiguity, making viewers “participate in its meaning,” and fits into a wider tradition of political hip-hop.
This excellent Berkeley Political Review article on the Yeehaw Agenda is worth a read, expanding on the issues discussed in the W deep dive above.
The article explains that the Yeehaw agenda is a cultural trend where cowboy and country imagery is being reclaimed and reshaped, especially by Black artists. It links this to Old Town Road, showing how cowboy symbolism is no longer just tied to white, rural America but is being made more inclusive in pop culture. Overall, it sees the trend as a wider cultural shift where ideas about identity and the American Dream are being redefined.
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