Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” may have just marked its eighth week on the Billboard Top 100 in its bid for the song of the year, but that doesn’t mean that the 20-year-old artist and yeehaw ambassador doesn’t still have time for his young fans.
Nas X showed up to Lander Elementary School in Mayfield Heights, Ohio to surprise students with a performance of his hit song after seeing a clip of them performing it as the finale of their talent show. After seeing the video on the Twitter account of the school’s principal, Felecia Evans, Nas X reached out via Twitter to promise the students of Lander Elementary a free show.
Now, nearly a week later, it appears that Lil Nas X is a man of his word. In an Instagram video of the performance that he posted to his personal account on Wednesday, Nas X can be seen in full cowboy regalia including a cowboy hat, boots and a Canadian tuxedo, arriving in the gymnasium of Lander Elementary much to the delight of the students, before breaking into a rendition of “Old Town Road” that swiftly became a singalong.
“SAW THESE KIDS TURNIN UP TO OLD TOWN ROAD 5 DAYS AGO AND HAD TO COME THRU AND PERFORM ONE TIME. LOVE THESE MOMENTS,” he wrote on Instagram.
See both Lil Nas X and the students’ performances of “Old Town Road” below.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang@timemagazine.com