Watch Metallica perform Nothing Else Matters with “real singer” Mickey Guyton

Country singer Mickey Guyton joined Metallica onstage to perform Nothing Else Matters recently at New York’s Global Citizen festival on September 24. The guest spot has since been shared on the event’s YouTube channel and now you can see their full collaboration, in all its pro-shot glory.

Guyton was one of six artists who covered the iconic Metallica ballad as part of the mammoth 53-track Metallica Blacklist tribute album – coordinated and released by the group as part of the celebrations surrounding the Black Album’s 30th anniversary last year.

The Grammy-nominated country singer was subsequently invited onstage during the metal icons' headline set at Global Citizen for a unique performance of the track that blurred the lines between the original and Guyton’s bombastic cover. Introducing Guyton, James Hetfield joked that Metallica had “finally – a real singer!”

Tweeting about the experience afterwards, Guyton shared pictures of the performance and wrote simply: “There are no words. I’m just grateful.” She later followed up with a video post sharing some rehearsal footage and her experience of the day.

Other artists who took on Nothing Else Matters for The Metallica Blacklist include Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Bridgers. Cyrus has also performed Nothing Else Matters live with Metallica, playing the song on Howard Stern’s radio show.