Lander elementary in Ohio was treated to a concert after the school’s principal made a video of the kids singing Old Town Road

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The students of Lander elementary school in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, are a remarkably energetic bunch, as they demonstrated in a viral video last week. Today, however, their enthusiasm bubbled over into jubilant, life-affirming insanity thanks to a surprise show by the rapper Lil Nas X.

Last week, the school’s principal made the kids into social media sensations by tweeting a clip in which they sang along, in a bouncy manner, to his hit Old Town Road.

Lil Nas X saw the infectious clip and was inevitably moved. He made a generous offer:

nope (@LilNasX) when they want a free show https://t.co/a0rYdfZZAK

Felecia Evans, the principal, took the musician up on it, but kept the plan “completely a secret”, she told BuzzFeed news.

Lil Nas X appeared in the school’s gym after a magic show, prompting squeals of delight from the children on par with early Beatlemania, or perhaps a nuclear blast. The real magic, however, came when the rapper and the kids lifted their voices together in song. Complex magazine captured the results in a video equally moving and hilarious, showcasing both the power of music and the decibel level achievable by a room full of small individuals who don’t care what anyone thinks.

Also, wow, those kids really know the words.