Brandy gave the fans poems. Monica gave the fans looks.
Monday night’s Verzuz battle was bound to be the most successful yet due to the multiplatinum talent involved and the public’s fixation with the two former teen stars’ complicated relationship.
More than 1.1 million people tuned in to the digital music event, sponsored by Apple Music and Ciroc, Monday. The two singers were matched up for the popular Instagram music battle, which has pitted stars including Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross and others against each other to battle song-by-song. The musicians play some of their top hits, and fans tune in for the stories behind each song and occasional live singing from their favorites.
Brandy, known for her platinum-selling self-titled album, and Monica, who was raised in College Park and has a string of hits including “So Gone” and “Everything to Me,” played their hits for about three hours Monday night at an Atlanta location. The night kicked off with Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris praising the two music icons and encouraging the viewers to vote. In the thousands of comments on Instagram, other famous names supported as well, such as former first lady Michelle Obama.
Monica played some of her top releases including “The First Night” and “Before You Walk Out of My Life.” She also gave the fans some joy by playing her beloved collaborations with singers including Usher and Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boys. Brandy played a mixture of popular releases and little-known songs — from “Have You Ever” to “Who is She 2 U.”
The music was well received by fans who tuned in, but the discussion on social media Monday night and Tuesday centered on the two singers’ longtime relationship. Monica spoke about connecting with Brandy before the Verzuz to air any past issues.
Brandy said it had been eight years since the singers, who both won Grammy awards for their hit “The Boy is Mine,” connected. It had been rumored that their rivalry and complicated friendship has festered since they both made the huge record in 1998.
Many who watched the duo sing, play music and chat saw signs of the reported tension between them. Many created videos and memes mocking the energy between them.
Besides the speculation about the duo’s relationship, fans battled online about who won the battle.
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