Barack Obama surprises YouTube music twins

Fred and Tim Williams went viral for their reaction to the Phil Collins hit ‘In the Air Tonight’

If you ever have the chance to talk to former President Barack Obama about music, definitely take it.

Fred and Tim Williams, who are better known as the 22-year-old YouTube personalities TwinsthenewTrend, got to do exactly that on the most recent episode of their show.

Covering Obama's recently released playlist of songs, which is tied to his new book A Promised Land, the twins sat down to talk about Bob Dylan's classic track “The Times They Are A-Changin.” 

As they debated the 1964 single, the twins, who are arguably best known for their viral reaction to Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” were surprised to find the former president himself popping in to discuss his selection.

“[Dylan] was part of that kind of social conscience that was in rock music, and later hip-hop music,” Obama told them about why he went with this particular song. 

Read More: Barack Obama shares playlist of 20 songs that helped him while he was president

"I'm like everybody else — I like music about girls and cars. Rock 'n' roll and hip-hop. But whenever you can find some musicians that really have a message about how America might be, how the world might be, that always is something that I pay attention to. And he's one of the greatest examples of that."

Continuing his train of thought, Obama emphasised unity regardless of background. “One of the most important things we can do as people — but especially young people — is opening our minds to how other people feel, what their traditions are, trying to make common cause with folks even if they don't look like us or didn't come from the same neighbourhood.”

Read More: Phil Collins’s ‘In the Air Tonight’ climbs charts after hilarious viral video of twins listening song for the first time