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.