Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus perform 'Old Town Road' during Diplo's Stagecoach after-party

Kristin Scharkey Shane Newell
Palm Springs Desert Sun

Rumors had been swirling around the Stagecoach grounds all weekend: Would Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus make an appearance at the country music festival?

Rolling Stone reported the pair would show up during the three-day event to perform their hit remix of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," without specifying which performance. So, questions abounded.

Festivalgoers got their answer Sunday night.

While rain fell on the Empire Polo Club festival grounds, rapper-singer Lil Nas X and Cyrus, a country legend, took the stage at electronic music superstar Diplo's after party in the Palomino tent on the last night of the country music festival. 

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Diplo called their remix "the "biggest song in the world." Both men wore cowboy hats. Cyrus played guitar while Lil Nas X danced and sang. 

The pair stirred up dust recently when Lil Nas X dropped his hit "Old Town Road" and it snagged No. 1 spots on both Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop at the same time. Billboard ultimately pulled the hit from the country chart claiming it didn't embody enough country music elements to have a place on their country chart.

Cyrus decided to join Lil Nas X on the remix, to exemplify the song's country assets including its country and cowboy-themed lyrics and banjo backing.

Diplo also brought out country star CAM to play their song "So Long," and Stagecoach Saturday headliner Sam Hunt appeared around 11:45 p.m. to sing his hit "Body Like a Back Road." 

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Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz Jr., 40, of Los Angeles, is the co-creator and leader of the electronic dancehall music project, Major Lazer. He's a member of the supergroup LSD, with Sia and Labrinth. He's half of Jack Ü with Skrillex and part of Silk City with Mark Ronson.

He's also carved a pretty significant career as a solo artist and producer. In January, he won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for "Electricity."

It's a big deal that he played an official after party at the major country festival. The previous two weekends, the venue hosted top electronic artists at the Sahara tent at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, April 12-14 and 19-21.

Desert Sun reporter Bruce Fessier contributed to this report.