At just 11-years-old, Mason Ramsey is the next viral video sensation that teens (as well as plenty of “chill adults”) are fascinated with. With his original rendition of Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues,” Ramsey stunned his Walmart audience.

Certainly very few could have expected this month’s meme would hail from Golconda, IL. Nonetheless, the young boy yodeled his way into hearts and minds across the nation, whether they were watching at Walmart or at home in bed.

I stumbled across the meme at 4 a.m. the other morning, as one does, and have not gone a day without thinking about and listening to the audio of Ramsey’s wonderful yodeling. It has inspired numerous remixes, remakes and retouching of the video, while the initial video itself has gained over 11 million views. In fact, the version performed by Hank Williams has skyrocketed back onto the charts for the first time in decades.

“A live radio broadcast of Williams’s ‘Lovesick Blues’ from his 1950 compilation album, ‘The Garden Spot Programs’ has seen a 2,452 percent spike in Spotify streams between March 26 and April 9, according to Forbes,” said Samantha Schmidt for the Washington Post.

However, what I cannot help feeling is a sense of painful sympathy for the young child and his family. With such immediate and overwhelming attention, they certainly have dealt with the negativity that the Internet often spews at things it does not quite understand. Many have responded in the comments saying that they do not like his singing.

First of all, yodeling is not singing—and that may be the kicker of it all. His yodeling should not be made fun of or meme-ified; it should be respected, because the kid has some strong pipes and he can belt.

Luckily, his nearly 183,000 Twitter followers and 847,000 on Instagram are there to support his journey. He was recently on the Ellen show, where he recieved a $15,000 check and the opportunity to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. I think it’s safe to assume that those lovesick blues changed the game for him.

Yodeling Walmart boy’s journey is definitely one to be watched closely as he moves up from Walmart and meme status to celebrity stardom.

To see Ramsey’s feature on the Ellen show, click here:

Kid Yodeler Mason Ramsey Performs