If you’d have said earlier this year that 150,000 people would pile on to Twitter to listen to international footballers sing 90s rap tunes – there would be a few turned heads.
But that is exactly what has happened this week, when an event on Twitter Spaces called #SingYourDialect went viral, attracting the likes of former leader of the free world Barack Obama, broadcaster Nigel Farage, numerous football clubs and even the Recording Academy – which runs the Grammys – to listen in.
Twitter Spaces acts as a group audio call, with anyone able to join and request to take part while others listen in.
Jacob McLaughlin, 18, hosts the now-popular show on selected evenings on Twitter, with listeners treated to the likes of KSI, Rylan and Lethal Bizzle all giving renditions of popular songs in their own accents.
On Tuesday evening, ears turned to a bonus #SingYourDialect with England and West Ham footballer Declan Rice taking centre-space.
He put his own spin on a Vanilla Ice classic from 1990, but instead changed the words to “Rice, Rice, Baby” – leaving fans in stitches.
The Domino’s Pizza account suggested that the midfielder could be a contender for Christmas number one with his retro-rap, while betting firm Paddy Power said we should a campaign to get him to Eurovision.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said Rice’s singing was “brilliant”, while the England account also paid tribute to its star with a photo of him using a corner flag as a guitar.
Twitter users have been expressing their bemusement of the event, speaking of its unexpected success.
One user, known as Alexei, wrote: “Tonight Nigel Farage, KSI, Declan Rice and Nando’s watched Shrewsbury Town sing ABBA, Twitter has peaked.”
Another, called Tom, wrote: “It’s nearly 11pm on a Tuesday night and I’m listening to Declan Rice sing Vanilla Ice live. Life has peaked.”
McLaughlin’s Twitter page says that he will run the event on Tuesdays and Sundays, from 7pm onwards.