No music story over the last few days has captivated quite like Lil Nas X. The Atlanta country-rap hybrid has memed his way into the zeitgeist, with fans getting behind his "Old Town Road" endeavor in part because it represents the systematic injustices in country music (and in music in general) and in part because it's infectious as all hell. And once the Billy Ray Cyrus remix dropped ahead of the weekend, a move that could reignite Lil Nas X's quest for country chart claims, social media turned into a meme factory supporting the rising rapper.
Aside from Cyrus, there hasn't been a ton of reaction from the artists of the country world, and last night's ACM Awards provided plenty of opportunities to change that on the red carpet. Speaking to Billboard, acclaimed country stars Brothers Osborne spoke about Lil Nas X, giving a distinct perspective on the subject. When asked what country is to them, T.J. Osborne responded "certainly not that" with regards to Lil Nas X, before explaining that country radio success is a long process that many artists spend years trying to achieve. "Get in line," T.J. added.