Mariah Carey passes torch to Lil Nas X after he broke her record

Mariah Carey is handing over the reins to Lil Nas X.

Billboard announced Monday that the country rapper’s summer smash “Old Town Road� surpassed Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito� and Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day� for the longest ride at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. Carey took the news like a good sport, gladly passing the torch to Lil Nas X with a photo edit on Twitter.

“Sending love & congrats to @LilNasX on breaking one of the longest running records in music history!� Carey wrote. “We’ve been blessed to hold this record with a song that means a great deal to @BoyzIIMen and myself and has touched so many. Keep living your best life!�

Bolstered by remix after crowd-pleasing remix, Lil Nas X’s catchy cowboy tune has lassoed the top spot for a record-breaking 17 weeks. The rapper has since received hundreds of congratulatory messages from his many social media supporters, including Bieber and his “Old Town Road� partners Billy Ray Cyrus and Mason Ramsey. But Carey’s left him especially starstruck.

“Wowwww thank you so much mariah!� he wrote back to the pop star. “You are a legend and an icon and i’m blessed to even have you acknowledging me right now! growing up to your music & now having you talk to me directly is unreal!�

Since “Old Town Road� dropped, it has spurred countless memes and almost as many remixes, featuring talent like Cyrus, Ramsey, Young Thug and, most recently, BTS’ RM. The overnight sensation behind the track posted a thank you message to his fans following Billboard’s announcement Monday, complete with several celebratory horse and cowboy emojis. He also penned a tribute to Carey before receiving her blessing.

“Mariah Carey is a legend and i love and respect her,� he said.