YouTube stars Fred and Tim Williams have become famous across the internet for their genuine reactions to popular songs, but their latest upload with surprise guest Barack Obama is definitely their best reaction video yet. Halfway through reviewing Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” which is featured on Barack’s A Promised Land playlist, the twins saw the former president’s face pop up on their screen, only to realize that he was video chatting them live! “Hey, people! What’s going on?” Barack greeted them.
The brothers, who now have over 700,000 YouTube subscribers, were in disbelief to learn that Barack is a fan of their videos. “It was a crazy humbling experience — he watches us!” Tim told People. Fred and Tim took the opportunity to ask the former president about what the Bob Dylan song meant to him. “He said the old ways are not going to work. Times are changing,” Tim said. “He gave us hope that there are still good people in power that want to see a change for the better.” Fred added, “[Obama] didn’t make us feel good about the future, he made us aware.”
During their chat, Barack also discussed making mixtapes as a kid, being open to new experiences as a society, and his newly released memoir A Promised Land. The accompanying playlist features artists like Beyoncé, Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, JAY-Z, and more. “This was fun,” he captioned an Instagram post sharing the video. “I heard @twinsthenewtrend were listening to some of the songs on my A Promised Land playlist, so I decided to drop in and surprise them.” Watch the smile-filled video here.