A reunion worth the wait! Twenty-two years after Brandy Norwood and Monica Brown dropped their hit single “The Boy Is Mine,” the singers reunited on Monday, August 31, facing off in the latest Verzuz battle — and setting a new record for people watching the live three-hour show.
At one point, the live Instagram show had 1.2 million viewers. Among them were celebrities including Snoop Dogg, Keke Palmer, Missy Elliott, and Michelle Obama. Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris also virtually joined the women to encourage voting!
After each harmonized to their hits, the women spoke on the rumors that they had tension in the past — something they claimed was “brilliant marketing” that came from “The Boy Is Mine.” Although they hadn’t spoken in eight years before the battle — their last collaboration, “It All Belongs to Me,” dropped in 2012 — the pair claimed to have no bad blood.
“I wanted to speak to you face to face,” Monica, 39, said during the video. “The more we’re talked about, the more it came to be difficult, unnecessarily. And I really, really am a straight shooter and I really do admire what you’ve done musically and what you’ve had to endure personally.”
The 41-year-old actress responded, explaining that she has “the utmost love and respect” for the mother of three. “For somebody to start at 12 years old … the longevity of your career, nobody [knows] what you’ve been through,” the Star alum added.
During the broadcast, both women belted out their other hits as well. Brandy sang along to “Almost Doesn’t Count,” and “Full Moon” among others, while Monica jammed out to “For You I Will” and “Angel of Mine.”
Watch the full video — “The Boy Is Mine” segment is last — above.
