Dwayne Johnson and Kelly Clarkson's country music tribute has to be heard to be believed
OK, so where can we buy their Christmas album?

The duo sang Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a Drinkin'"
Everybody knows Kelly Clarkson has pipes and any fan of Disney’s “Moana” knows that Dwayne Johnson can carry a tune. But I don’t think in a million years anyone would have guessed the two singing together could result in a truly spectacular duet. All in full twang, no less!
Clarkson and Johnson (can’t you see their names co-headlining a tour?) paid tribute to honky-tonk superstar Loretta Lynn, who passed away on Oct. 4 at age 90, by singing arguably everyone’s favorite country song from the '60s about rejecting drunken sex—“Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.”The “American Idol” singer expectedly shines in the song—displaying effortless vocal power while retaining Lynn’s signature lilt. But much to everyone’s surprise, her voice paired well—like, superbly well—with The Rock’s, who held his own during the performance as well.
"His voice really actually fits that song," one listener wrote. "Who would have guessed Dwayne is a countryboy??"
Seriously. Take a listen.
By and large, listeners considered Johnson and Clarkson’s duet to be a sweet and wholesome tribute to the late country music icon.
“Smiling through the whole thing. So unexpected but so wholesome. This makes my heart so happy. RIP Loretta,” commented one person.
“Paying tribute to the WONDERFUL Loretta Lynn with vocals sung by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Queen Kelly is nothing more than AWESOME and I liked how both of them duetted together for this song!” added another.
Perhaps the biggest secret revealed by this performance, however, is that Johnson has been a country boy this entire time, and even once had his own country music ambitions.
During a virtual interview with Clarkson in 2021, the “Jumanji” star shared that “I grew up loving real, traditional country. When I got to Nashville ... I used to hang out down there and listen to all the acts, and I did have it in my mind that I was gonna become a country music singer.”
It was that confession that inspired Clarkson to invite Johnson to sing a duet—so yeah, basically this musical treat was a year in the making. And after this performance, it looks like he might get another chance at that dream, after all. I know I’d buy the collab album. Yeehaw.
- Dwayne Johnson shares the secret to his success - Upworthy ›
- Watch Anne Hathaway hilariously beat Kelly Clarkson at her own ... ›
- Ariana Grande and Kelly Clarkson's pop diva duel is a must watch ... ›
- Dwayne Johnson returns to 7-Eleven he used to shoplift from - Upworthy ›
- Linda Ronstadt's "Long, Long Time" shoots up 4900% on Spotify - Upworthy ›
- Tracy Chapman praises Luke Combs country cover of 'Fast Car' - Upworthy ›
- Ruby Leigh yodels on NBC's "The Voice" - Upworthy ›
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."