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R&B fans shared the best examples of 'singing like the rent is due' and the clips are incredible

These singers left it all on stage.

mariah carey, whitney houston, great singers
via Setor VIP/Wikimedia Commons and DefenseImagery/Wikimedia Commons

Mariah Carey performing at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 2019 and Whitney Houston performing "Saving All My Love for You" during the HBO-televised concert "Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston"

R&B music news site RNB Radar asked its audience on Twitter to share “an example of someone singing like the rent is due,” and they didn’t disappoint. The tweet thread of artists leaving it all out on the stage received over 30 million views because it was a fantastic way to experience some of the greatest R&B, soul and gospel singers giving their best performances.

To sing like the “rent is due” is to belt out the song like your life is on the line or that you’ll be living in the streets for the next few weeks if you don't give it your all. The artists that appeared most often on the list were Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle and Christina Aguilera, who were all known to give it their all every time out.

Here are 11 of the best videos shared on Twitter in response to RNB Radar’s request.

Christina Aguilera’s rendition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the Grammys in 2007 goes next level when she hits that high note at the 18-second mark.

​The Lord definitely took notice of Karen Clark Sheard's show-stopping rendition of “Balm in Gilead.”

D’Atra Hicks used every emotion one woman can muster in this passionate performance of “How Much Can One Heart Take?” from the stage presentation of “Madea’s Family Reunion.”

Shoshana Bean’s stirring performance of “Make it Rain” is enough to make the sky open and pour down.

Whitney Houston left it all out on stage every time. This compilation proves it.

In one of the best battles in “The Voice” history, Trevin Hunte and Amanda Brown went toe to toe on Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love.”

Once again, Whitney Houston, this time performing one of the most popular renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner,” a live version recorded at the Super Bowl in 1991. “If you were there, you could feel the intensity,” Houston said, according to Today.com. “We were in the Gulf War at the time. It was an intense time for our country. A lot of our daughters and sons were overseas fighting. I could see in the stadium, I could see the fear, the hope, the intensity, the prayers going up.”

How does Carrie Underwood not pass out when hitting the big note on “Broken Wing”?

Singing a duet with Mariah Carey is no easy task. But Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men is totally up for it in this performance of “One Sweet Day.”

Prince isn't singing here, but he gave every ounce of soul he had while playing The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" during the George Harrison tribute at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Teddy Pendergrass’ passionate performance of “Turn Out the Lights” ensured the rent would get paid. Either he’d come up with the money or there’d be no shortage of women in the audience who would lend him a few bucks after setting this perfect thirst trap.

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Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

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Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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Artists got fed up with these 'anti-homeless spikes.' So they made them a bit more ... comfy.

"Our moral compass is skewed if we think things like this are acceptable."

Photo courtesy of CC BY-ND, Immo Klink and Marco Godoy

Spikes line the concrete to prevent sleeping.


These are called "anti-homeless spikes." They're about as friendly as they sound.

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Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

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A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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