Lil Nas X‘s viral single “Old Town Road” is a bonafide smash, reigning over the Hot 100 for five weeks and spawning even more memes than the one that originally launched it to its hit status. Everyone from Billy Ray Cyrus to Cardi B seems to be riding the wave — and imaginary horses. Last night at her Fashion Nova launch event, Cardi brought her fellow breakout star onstage to surprise fans with his crowd-pleasing viral hit. Check out the video below.
thank you cardi b!! pic.twitter.com/dbSRcUY4wT
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 9, 2019
“Old Town Road” has certainly become a phenomenon outside of its original Youtube video release. After sparking controversy with its placement on the Hot Country Songs chart, it has achieved a near-ubiquitous level of popularity, with remixes featuring Diplo, performances with stars like John Mayer, late night TV appearances with jokesters Desus and Mero, and co-signs from pop stars like Miley Cyrus (whose dad Billy Ray appears on the first official remix of the song). Even with detractors like Dave East and the Brothers Osbourne coming out against it, it seems its viral success can’t be stopped.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxPldaLBFzt/?utm_source=ig_embed
Cardi B knows a thing or two about that. Not only did her song “Bodak Yellow” become a meme-worthy viral hit in its own right in 2017, effectively launching her career and turning her into a household name by the time her Grammy-winning debut album dropped, but she’s experienced more than her share of critics and skeptics trying to slow up her momentum. However, if anything, she’s bigger than ever this year, releasing a second collection with Fashion Nova after the first sold out in hours and making the transition to Hollywood later this year with Hustlers. If Lil Nas X wants to be like Cardi and stick around past the success of his first monster single, he’ll need to follow up with one heck of a second act.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. .
