PRIDE 'til I Can't No More: How Lil Nas X Became a Multihit Wonder

The book's epilogue briefly summarizes Lil Nas X's career post–“Old Town Road” and the song's legacy. Though “Road” proved to be the artist's last attempt at a country crossover hit, the debate the song sparked opened doors for other Black crossover artists and “country trap” songs. Lil Nas X's later output also affirmed that his success was no fluke, as he scored multiple hits in a range of styles and became a gay icon. While his ultimate genre classification might be neither country nor rap but really “internet,” the radio acceptance Lil Nas X has enjoyed reveal him to be an artist of longevity and a serious pop craftsman—a signal artist of Generation Z culture.