Lil Nas X got the ultimate seal of approval from Mariah Carey as she congratulated him for overtaking her long-held Billboard Hot 100 record.
Carey was the joint record-holder for most ever weeks at number one on the US singles chart.
Her song with Boyz II Men, One Sweet Day, spent a total of 16 weeks on the top spot in 1995 and 1996. The singer’s record was not surpassed until this week, when Old Town Road clocked 17 weeks at number one.
The 20-year-old rapper said that it felt “unreal” to have his track acknowledged by Carey after the megastar told him to “live his best life”.
“Sending love & congrats to @LilNasX on breaking one of the longest-running records in music history!” Carey tweeted on Monday.
“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!”
Lil Nas X replied: “Wowwww thank you so much Mariah! You are a legend and an icon and i’m [sic] blessed to even have you acknowledging me right now!
“Growing up to your music & now having you talk to me directly is unreal!”
Carey also shared a clip of herself performing One Sweet Day on Twitter, and wrote: “Thank you for acknowledging this song.
Mariah Carey’s most memorable outfits
1/38 Scroll through to see Mariah Carey’s most memorable looks…
Getty Images
2/38 March 24, 2018
At Nickelodeon’s 2018 Kids’ Choice Awards
Getty Images
3/38 January 7, 2018
At the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Getty Images
4/38 December 31, 2017
Performing during New Year’s Eve celebrations
AFP/Getty Images
5/38 November 1, 2017
Being honoured with a Hand and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre
Getty Images
6/38 December 31, 2016
Performing during New Year’s Eve celebrations
AFP/Getty Images
7/38 May 16, 2016
At the NBCUniversal 2016 Upfront Presentation
Getty Images
8/38 August 5, 2015
Being honoured with Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Getty Images
9/38 January 18, 2014
At the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
Getty Images
10/38 December 15, 2014
Performing her holiday smash hits at the Beacon Theatre
Getty Images for Maroon Ent
11/38 December 3, 2014
At the 82nd annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Getty Images
12/38 August 5, 2013
Attending Lee Daniels’ The Butler New York Premiere
Getty Images
13/38 July 13, 2013
Performing at the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Charity Concert
Getty Images
14/38 May 24, 2013
Performing on ABC’s Good Morning America
Getty Images
15/38 April 27, 2012
With Nick Cannon during their wedding vows renewal ceremony
Getty Images
16/38 February 23, 2010
Performing at the Gibson Amphitheatre
Getty Images
17/38 October 31, 2009
During Halloween celebration at M2 Ultra Lounge
Getty Images
18/38 October 15, 2009
At Narita International Airport
Getty Images
19/38 September 13, 2009
At the Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire pre-party
Getty Images
20/38 May 28, 2008
At a baseball match between Yomiuri Giants and Rakuten Golden Eagles at Tokyo Dome
Getty Images
21/38 July 29, 2006
Performing at the Pepsi Smash Concert
Getty Images
22/38 May 30, 2006
Being awarded best legs by Gillette Venus
Getty Images
23/38 April 12, 2006
At MTV’s Total Request Live
Getty Images
24/38 May 14, 2005
Attending Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball
Getty Images
25/38 April 21, 2005
At her Album Release Party
Getty Images
26/38 12 April, 2005
Attending the presentation of her new album The Emancipation of Mimi
AFP/Getty Images
27/38 March 26, 2005
At the launch party to celebrate The Emancipation of Mimi
Getty Images
28/38 November 4, 2004
Attending Sean “P. Diddy” Combs 35th Birthday Celebration
Getty Images
29/38 October 31, 2004
Arriving at her Halloween party
Getty Images
30/38 June 3, 2004
Arriving at the Fresh Air Fund Salute To American Heroes gala
Getty Images
31/38 04 November 2003
On her Around the World tour
AFP/Getty Images
32/38 October 31, 2003
Arriving at her private Halloween party at The Collection
Getty Images
33/38 March 21, 2003
Posing at a press event to release her new single
Getty Images
34/38 July 13, 2001
Leaving the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London
Getty Images
35/38 July 12, 2001
At Home House for a special dinner party
Getty Images
36/38 July 11, 2001
Leaving the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge
Getty Images
37/38 4 September, 1998
At the Soul Train awards
Getty Images
38/38 24 October, 1997
At the 1997 MTV Video Awards
Getty Images
1/38 Scroll through to see Mariah Carey’s most memorable looks…
Getty Images
2/38 March 24, 2018
At Nickelodeon’s 2018 Kids’ Choice Awards
Getty Images
3/38 January 7, 2018
At the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Getty Images
4/38 December 31, 2017
Performing during New Year’s Eve celebrations
AFP/Getty Images
5/38 November 1, 2017
Being honoured with a Hand and Footprint Ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre
Getty Images
6/38 December 31, 2016
Performing during New Year’s Eve celebrations
AFP/Getty Images
7/38 May 16, 2016
At the NBCUniversal 2016 Upfront Presentation
Getty Images
8/38 August 5, 2015
Being honoured with Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Getty Images
9/38 January 18, 2014
At the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
Getty Images
10/38 December 15, 2014
Performing her holiday smash hits at the Beacon Theatre
Getty Images for Maroon Ent
11/38 December 3, 2014
At the 82nd annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Getty Images
12/38 August 5, 2013
Attending Lee Daniels’ The Butler New York Premiere
Getty Images
13/38 July 13, 2013
Performing at the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Charity Concert
Getty Images
14/38 May 24, 2013
Performing on ABC’s Good Morning America
Getty Images
15/38 April 27, 2012
With Nick Cannon during their wedding vows renewal ceremony
Getty Images
16/38 February 23, 2010
Performing at the Gibson Amphitheatre
Getty Images
17/38 October 31, 2009
During Halloween celebration at M2 Ultra Lounge
Getty Images
18/38 October 15, 2009
At Narita International Airport
Getty Images
19/38 September 13, 2009
At the Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire pre-party
Getty Images
20/38 May 28, 2008
At a baseball match between Yomiuri Giants and Rakuten Golden Eagles at Tokyo Dome
Getty Images
21/38 July 29, 2006
Performing at the Pepsi Smash Concert
Getty Images
22/38 May 30, 2006
Being awarded best legs by Gillette Venus
Getty Images
23/38 April 12, 2006
At MTV’s Total Request Live
Getty Images
24/38 May 14, 2005
Attending Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball
Getty Images
25/38 April 21, 2005
At her Album Release Party
Getty Images
26/38 12 April, 2005
Attending the presentation of her new album The Emancipation of Mimi
AFP/Getty Images
27/38 March 26, 2005
At the launch party to celebrate The Emancipation of Mimi
Getty Images
28/38 November 4, 2004
Attending Sean “P. Diddy” Combs 35th Birthday Celebration
Getty Images
29/38 October 31, 2004
Arriving at her Halloween party
Getty Images
30/38 June 3, 2004
Arriving at the Fresh Air Fund Salute To American Heroes gala
Getty Images
31/38 04 November 2003
On her Around the World tour
AFP/Getty Images
32/38 October 31, 2003
Arriving at her private Halloween party at The Collection
Getty Images
33/38 March 21, 2003
Posing at a press event to release her new single
Getty Images
34/38 July 13, 2001
Leaving the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London
Getty Images
35/38 July 12, 2001
At Home House for a special dinner party
Getty Images
36/38 July 11, 2001
Leaving the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge
Getty Images
37/38 4 September, 1998
At the Soul Train awards
Getty Images
38/38 24 October, 1997
At the 1997 MTV Video Awards
Getty Images
“One Sweet Day will always hold a special place in my heart and I want to thank anyone who’s ever told me how this song has affected them and their loved ones.”
Old Town Road also replaced Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s 2017 tune Despacito, which spent 16 weeks at number one.
Lil Nas recently released a special video for Old Town Road which saw the rapper search for aliens in Area 51 after more than one million social media users joined a Facebook event pledging to read the restricted US Air Force base.
In it the rapper’s cartoon video saw his avatar invite his collaborators to storm Area 51, arriving on horseback to the shock of soldiers guarding the top secret facility.
