“Old Town Road” is a viral anomaly that shook the internet and shattered records. Calmatic’s vision seamlessly weaved two different worlds within the video, in the same way, that Lil Nas X seamlessly weaved two different genres within his song. The video is the visual representation of a cultural phenomenon.

Columbia Records released Lil Nas X “Old Town Road” remix, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, just one month before the video premiered. Initially, there was going to be one video for the original hit and another for the remix. The brief was open and the expectations were higher than ever. As with most music videos, the biggest challenges were a tight budget and an even tighter timeline. Calmatic also had to consider working with an artist who had never performed on camera and had no prior acting experience. So coming up with a dynamic idea showcasing Lil Nas X as a rising star, alongside Billy Ray Cyrus, was a very tall order. While Calmatic built out his ideas for both videos, Columbia decided to release only one video. By combining the best parts of each video concept, Calmatic’s music video for “Old Town Road” was born.

After combining elements from two different concepts, Calmatic, landed on an idea that put Lil Nas X at the center, still appealing to his online audience, while also incorporating Billy Ray Cyrus in a way that was fun and authentic to the song’s collaboration. Calmatic’s cinematic approach allowed for several cameos and beautiful film techniques that could support a new artist in unfamiliar territory.

As “Old Town Road” sky rocketed into internet virality, Calmatic, was brainstorming ideas for the video. His goal as a director going into the project was to make sure there was something in it for everybody. From the wild west, to the hood, and even the bingo hall, Calmatic’s vision afforded anyone watching the opportunity to feel seen. Integrating a spoken narrative and breaking up the song throughout the video captured millions of viewers initially, but also kept them coming back again and again.

Columbia Records released Lil Nas X “Old Town Road” remix, featuring Billy Ray Cyrus on April 5, 2019 and two weeks later the video was shot in Los Angeles, California. The shoot prep was extensive and thorough to accommodate Calmatic’s vision which included horses, celebrity cameos, and a lead talent who had never performed on camera before. The production scale was much larger than the average music video-- to execute Calmatic’s cinematic cowboy excursion it required three shoot days and tireless work from all crew. The video premiered on May 17, 2019.

The song only grew bigger with the release of the video. As of March 2021, Old Town Road is the #1 most-streamed song of all time in the US and the video boasts 581+ million views on YouTube. The video won Music Video of the Year at the 2020 Grammys and Best Direction at the 2019 MTV VMAs. Calmatic’s intention to feature elements from the wild west and the hood prompted larger conversations about inclusion.