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Lil Nas is a genius, A thread
In case you haven’t noticed, “country trap” rapper Lil Nas X has the #1 song in the country and it’s been that way for 12 weeks. He’s blocked the most popular pop stars from stopping his stream yet “experts” remain stunned as to how. I’m here now. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/lil-nas-x-is-the-sound-of-the-internet-somehow
Lil Nas X initial moment of virility is not uncommon. All one needs is funny, shareable moment that’s captivating enough to entertain without losing the audience’s attention. Word to TikTok but how did they find the song in the first place 
Enter a piece of lil nas x’s marketing ploy, old school product placement. He made a point to place the song by lyric in random spaces of the internet so even if you’re not curious enough to search, it’s already in your subconscious. Example: reddit (he’s deleting evidence btw)
173 days ago was October 26th 2018.
The original upload dates on YouTube & a few other platforms was in 2018 as well but has since been deleted and/or re-uploaded for legal (sample) & quality purposes
The original upload dates on YouTube & a few other platforms was in 2018 as well but has since been deleted and/or re-uploaded for legal (sample) & quality purposes
Lil Nas X had several songs at the end of 2018 released online before the tiktok viral challenge. But how would he get attention to the song without the label of a spamming soundcloud rapper? Product placement was one, image familiarity thru artwork was another
Next, find a target audience to move up the music faster. The target audience? White kids. Now, it’s been said YT kids are the biggest consumers of rap but how do you make yourself stand out when rappers come a dime dozen even with gimmicks? What genre also sells?
I’m gonna pause right here for a second to show how Lil Nas X knew which song to promote by reminding y’all who he (allegedly) is....again.
Lil Nas X’s following didn’t appear out of nowhere. He had a large following from being a former Stan account & tweetdecker
Lil Nas X’s following didn’t appear out of nowhere. He had a large following from being a former Stan account & tweetdecker
The account was so popular that even Jordan Peele acknowledged him & many have been tryna imitate the engagement. https://twitter.com/JordanPeele/status/883814089323036674?s=20
To this day, Lil Nas X denies that he is/was NasMaraj so we are going to stick with allegedly. Mmk
If you want more info, look here. I’m going to stick to marketing in this thread http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/lil-nas-x-was-a-popular-twitter-user-before-old-town-road.html
If you want more info, look here. I’m going to stick to marketing in this thread http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/lil-nas-x-was-a-popular-twitter-user-before-old-town-road.html
Lil Nas X not only grew up on the internet but understands how to engage & grab attention online. This is important. Being in tune with bubbling #YeehawAgenda made it easy to focus on which song to promote. This gave him a core audience & less competition https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/welcome-to-the-yee-yee-club-bitch-805169/
In case you’re not keeping count, with the #YeehawAgenda & tiktok challenges, the interest in this country-ish sound but make it nick-gurr has double the chance of virility. As you know, many viral songs online chart. They also come and go.
Remember this?
Remember this?
Anyway, the song debuted on the H100, country & hiphop charts at various positions. And suddenly, THE MAN snatched it off the charts for not being country enough. Is it race? Of course it is but it’s also the best exposure you can every have. Controversy sells.
Lil Nas X now also has black fans on GP. The world is now rooting for him. https://twitter.com/YungJayy_/status/1111065255365541888?s=20
In a social media age where being a “social justice warrior” through clicks is very easy. The race train is a ride given to Lil Nas X to ride but not depend on. We all know what happens with Billy Ray https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/billy-ray-cyrus-defends-lil-nas-xs-old-town-road-as-country.html
Lil Nas skyrockets to #1 in April and has stayed here. Ppl seem to can’t figure out how and thought the sympathy would run or folks would get tired of the song. Here’s what people are missing STILL. The subtle marketing.
Again, let’s refer back to Lil Nas X’s alleged past. He was allegedly a Stan account & tweetdecker. For those of you unfamiliar w/ Stan culture outside of the wars & harassment, they often have streaming parties to boost songs. What’s more streamable than a song that’s 2 mins!
Disclaimer: I’m not saying he’s having streaming parties. Lol
Having a short song makes it easier to play on repeat whether the listener intends to or not without getting bored of the song....
Having a short song makes it easier to play on repeat whether the listener intends to or not without getting bored of the song....
Besides having short songs, he also calls back to his alleged past with HOW he engages. Lil Nas X RTs & engages w/ fans the way his former alleged fav did on twitter 10 years ago. They made/make a point to engage & stay connected to fans by making them feel apart of the journey
The other callback? Meme and troll culture. Lil Nas X has found a way to either troll, meme himself, outwit criticism, spam his music, and make internet references simultaneously to promote interest in his public identity
Sidenote: these earrings are THE most ATLANTA thing ever lmao I’m screaming
I know the Barbz hate to see it but Lil Nas X disassociating from the alleged past is a great marketing ploy for 2 reasons. He is unattached from the negativity. He can master troll the trolls of days past.
Ex: Megatron releasing the same day as his EP. see deleted tweet
Ex: Megatron releasing the same day as his EP. see deleted tweet
Ok here’s the side by side
Anyway, remember what I said about familiarity? Who was the number one rapper in the last year or so? Who had an anticipated album rollout?
Does this ring any bells?
Does this ring any bells?
It also sounds like a Travis Scott song who is also not a traditional rap artist https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1141741040895791105?s=20
Going back to the Nicki Minaj stunt, the Barbz try again to take Lil Nas X down by exposing his nudes, old tweets and anything potentially damaging but can you troll a master troll?
No. His response: https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1142819850533793792?s=20
No. His response: https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1142819850533793792?s=20
Lil Nas X slams down the ultimate joker by putting down Cardi B on the full “rodeo” track. This is a statement to further distance himself from the NasMaraj accusations. It also keeps him in good graces with the stans who currently have the most power online besides BTS & BeyHive
Please note that the songs on the 7 EP are also 2ish minutes long for streaming boost purposes
Lil Nas X is very aware of himself. He leans into the commentary about how short and simple his songs are. He acknowledges, with a meme, of course https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1142806835629400064?s=20
Now that Lil Nas X has released his EP, he has to keep ppl interested in both music & himself. How can he accomplish that past spamming folks with his music? Attaching himself to every viral thing/person in each pocket of the internet to remind us EVERYONE loves him
But 2 not abandon his core audience, the internet & its encompassing culture, Lil Nas X finds a way promote himself without overdoing it to the point that audiences have grown tired of him. He does this by leaning into Internet culture multiple times a day https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1143560369492783104?s=20
In conclusion, Lil Nas X is a success & still hold the #1 because he has found a way to maneuver through digital marketing for free using combined methods of traditional marketing & internet culture. He knows how to connect with people while being his authentic troll self without
Being too corny or annoying to turn people off. His marketability crosses different because internet culture blends cultures across the country. He also transcends a few age demographics because his content is simple enough for children to enjoy but nuanced enough for generations
Z & millennials to have an attachment or at least a sense of familiarity 
He also will always have a core audience due to the internet being its own stand alone population that sets its own trends & sits in a pocket with no real rules. It’s quirky enough to just be.
He also will always have a core audience due to the internet being its own stand alone population that sets its own trends & sits in a pocket with no real rules. It’s quirky enough to just be.
A lot of publications have been trying to analyze everything surrounding Lil Nas X. My tweets are not to be sourced, cited, quoted, referenced in any type of way without my permission and or/compensation or pay.
As usual, I’m here to promote myself first. Mmk.
So follow me for more quality content.
Also if you learned something or three, send me a dollar or three
https://cash.me/$NilajaKai
So follow me for more quality content.
Also if you learned something or three, send me a dollar or three
https://cash.me/$NilajaKai
Marketing genius https://twitter.com/NotLaja/status/1151956589726851076?s=20
And now, it’s all paid off https://twitter.com/LilNasX/status/1155911402827046913?s=20
