The yee-haw agenda is dead. Long live the spooky agenda! On Monday, Billboard reported that Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy†has taken the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ending Lil Nas X’s record-breaking 19-week streak for “Old Town Road.†Lil Nas X defied all expectations with his chart-topping Horse Boy anthem, and had something of a hero’s journey to the top. First, “Old Town Road†— the yee-iest song to ever haw — was unjustly shut out of the Hot Country charts for “not embracing enough elements of today’s country music in its current version.†Then, Lil Nas X used Billboard’s remix rules, which list all remixes as part of a single song entry, to his advantage, maintaining interest by rolling out new versions with guest appearances from Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Young Thug, Walmart Yodel Boy Mason Ramsey, and BTS’s RM. During that time, 17-year-old Billie Eilish released “Bad Guy†as the single from her debut EP and made her own Billboard history: The track stayed at No. 2 for nine weeks running, making it the longest a No. 1 single has ever hung out in second place before ascending to the top. The single’s longevity may also have the remix rule to thank, as Eilish released a “Bad Guy†remix featuring Justin Bieber in July. Eilish may be the new sheriff in town, but Lil Nas X is taking it in stride:
Eilish’s spooky-vibe track hits No. 1 just in time for pumpkin spice season (August, obviously), and we welcome both of our new Gen-Z overlords. We just have one question: When are y’all going to release “Bad Guy Road?â€