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 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.
This would have to be the Legendary Christina Aguilera’s show stopping rendition of James Brown “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the Grammys 2007. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/oIDdOxwDFy
— Albie (Housewives & Madonna Super Fan) (@_MANDONNA_) June 17, 2023
The Lord definitely took notice of Karen Clark Sheard's show-stopping rendition of “Balm in Gilead.”
I meanpic.twitter.com/w7g4dN6ogM
— Mandie (@__capricciosa) June 16, 2023
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.”
D’Atra was singing like the rent, car payment, light bill, phone bill, and daycare were ALL due at the same time! pic.twitter.com/oeJhOeH3Gf
— ✨ Ed 🤦🏽♂️ ✨ (@eddluxe) June 19, 2023
Shoshana Bean’s stirring performance of “Make it Rain” is enough to make the sky open and pour down.
Shoshana was singing for free rent for a year… pic.twitter.com/Hz8ufGAvu9
— ✨ Ed 🤦🏽♂️ ✨ (@eddluxe) June 18, 2023
Whitney Houston left it all out on stage every time. This compilation proves it.
— whit (@legendofNippy) June 17, 2023
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.”
Trevin Hunte vs Amanda Brown - Vision of Lovepic.twitter.com/bPbNbTOmiu
— Ɗισηα ♌️🌞♏️🌛♒️ 🌅 (@Elladrien) June 17, 2023
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.”
There will never be another pic.twitter.com/LB7RTaN2u4
— Real Deal (@Real_DealRaps) June 16, 2023
How does Carrie Underwood not pass out when hitting the big note on “Broken Wing”?
Carrie Underwood always pushes her voice to the limit. She doesn’t hold back. pic.twitter.com/wPorA95Jw4
— Dustin Mont 🏳️🌈🇨🇦 (@DustinMont) June 17, 2023
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.”
Mariah & Wanya from Boyz II Men One Sweet Day pic.twitter.com/pBAH5eH0n0
— adi_ylah, M.Ed. (@adiylah) June 17, 2023
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.
The way Prince made that guitar sing. You just know he had 3 kids, a wife, and the red notice was on the door
— Asia (@AQueensTale_) June 17, 2023
My all time favorite music clip#RIPTHEGREATESTTOEVERDOIT
🌹🌹🌹🌹 pic.twitter.com/wI4B0InCHO
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.
— My Fault (@Who_Remy) June 18, 2023
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.