Michael Rozman/Warner Bros. Mary Halsey received the surprise of a lifetime when Missy Elliott joined her on the stage of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Thursday to perform the rapper's 2002 smash, "Work It." Over the summer, Mary went viral with a karaoke version of the hip-hop track, and when Missy spotted the footage, she posted the video to social media, calling Mary her "funky white sister." Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. "It was a shock! I never expected this," Mary told Ellen Thursday. "I put it out there and said, 'I wanna go viral,' but I never thought it would happen.'" Mary explained to Ellen she's been singing "Work It" at karaoke sessions for the past 15 years, saying, "I learned and I read the words and I studied it, and the reaction that I got was so positive that it became my go-to song." Soon after, Mary took the stage. Nailing every lyric and sound effect, Missy's "funky white sister" was busy doing her thing when the legend herself walked out midway through the performance. Mary's face dropped but she managed to pull herself together to finish the song with her idol. This might just be the most pure video on the internet. Afterward, the two sat on Ellen's couch to chat. Missy revealed that the mumbled lyrics right after the line, "I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it," are actually that same phrase -- only reversed. "It was an accident in the studio," she said. "The tape -- the reel -- ended up going backwards. And so, I heard my rap going backwards, and I said, 'Keep it, and I'll make words around that part.' And that's what made me say, 'Flip it and reverse it.'" Missy later replied to a fan on Twitter, who said they were crying watching the clip. "No, I wanted to cry, too!" Missy tweeted. "Tears of joy. And I thank Ellen for bringing Mary Halsey and I together. My 'funky white sister' Mary is one of the sweetest souls I [have ever] met, and Ellen will always be blessed for making others' dreams come true." Mary wrote on her Facebook: "My cheeks hurt from smiling!" (We're crying.) No I wanted to cry to!😩 tears of joy & I thank @TheEllenShow for bringing #MaryHalsey & I together my “Funky White Sister”🤗❤️ Mary is one of the sweetest souls I met & Ellen will always be Blessed for making others dreams come true❤️ https://t.co/JcCEcTYDsm @MissyElliott Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.<doc-sep>Missy Elliott surprised viral star Mary Halsey on Ellen on Thursday. The pair performed Elliott’s hit “Work It” together on the daytime talk show. Halsey went viral on Twitter for her performance of “Work It” at an annual karaoke picnic in her hometown. In the clip, Halsey held a shofar and performed the 2002 single with barely any assistance from the karaoke screen. It picked up steam online after Elliott herself tweeted it out and called Halsey her “funky white sister.” On Ellen, Halsey sat down for an interview with DeGeneres to explain the origin of the video and thankfulness for Elliott’s support. She then proceeded to do a solo performance of “Work It” — with her shofar in hand, of course — before Elliott snuck up on stage to join the woman and rap alongside her. The day’s other guest, Kristen Bell, was caught reacting to the surprise backstage on another camera. Elliott later posted her own backstage video with Halsey on Twitter, calling the woman “1 of the sweetest people I’ve met.” She also thanked DeGeneres for bringing the two together. Elliott’s biggest chart hit is an onomatopoeic treat if you play it forward as well, full of ra-ta-ta-ta, buh-bump-buh-bump-bump andba-rum-pa-pum-pum, and “Work It” was ranked Number 17 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century — So Far list.<doc-sep>Mary Halsey is a star. Referred to as Missy Elliott's "funky white sister," the endearing woman recently went viral for her flawless performance of "Work It." Following her viral success, Mary was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she treated the audience to a live performance of the 2002 hit, and was surprised by the iconic hitmaker herself! Though Mary was stunned by Missy's appearance mid-performance, the best part is that she carried on and continued to crush the song yet again. In a heartwarming interview after the performance, Missy joked that Mary could be her "hype-girl" at future concerts. "I'll be your hype-girl! You just ask," Mary said. Watch the incredible surprise ahead.<doc-sep>
Missy Elliott and her viral "Funky White Sister" have been united! The "Work It" singer surprised her fan, whose name is Mary Halsey, during a performance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Thursday. Halsey went viral in August by performing a hilarious rendition of Elliott's 2002 hit. The original video now has more than 13 million views and counting. During her interview with DeGeneres, Halsey said she never expected her cover version to be seen by the hip-hop star, who shared the viral video along with a supportive message last month. "I have to sit back, I can't even tell you," she said. "It was a shock. I never expected this. I put it out there and said 'I want to go viral,' but I never thought it would happen." Halsey also revealed she's been singing "Work It" for 15 years and came up with the name "Funky White Sister" to fill up time during the beginning of the song. Then she took to the stage to grace the audience with her viral cover. "Hi everybody! I'm at 'The Ellen Show,' first time exclusive," she began. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mrs. Funky White Sister is in the house!" DeGeneres and guest Kristen Bell watched the whole thing unfold from offstage, eagerly awaiting the Rhode Island woman's reaction when Elliott joined her onstage. Halsey paused her singing for a moment, clearly in shock, and then jumped right back in so they could finish the song off together. After they finished their performance, Halsey and Elliott gave each other a big hug. More:5 things to know about the viral 'funky white sister' who covers Missy Elliott's 'Work It' More:5 stomach-turning swamp rat moments from the 'Rodents of Unusual Size' documentary