Verzuz: Monica and Brandy Will Finally Share the Stage in Next Battle
Good news for Verzuz fans! Brandy and Monica, two of R&B’s biggest stars, are set to roll out their catalogs for the platform’s next musical celebration. Swizz Beatz teased one or two major announcements this month and this one was probably on deck.
Though Monica’s name is currently in the headlines for her connection to C-Murder, the Verzuz battle is flipping the attention back to her music career. This match-up with Brandy is one that fans have been looking forward to in 2020 and for the summer.
Verzuz initially seemed unlikely for Monica and Brandy
Months ago, both ladies’ names were floated as possible contenders in a Verzuz battle, following the success of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Social media users ran the idea of Brandy and Monica up, sparking a new wave of excitement among fans.
Word got back to Brandy and Monica, with the latter quickly shutting it down. Monica stated that she wasn’t interested in being pitted against Brandy as a rival since people have been doing it for two decades. She did add that if it were to be a celebration rather than a replay of 1998, she’d be down.
In May, Brandy did an interview with V-103’s Frank Ski and said she heard Monica didn’t want to do it. “I understand,” she said. But she praised Verzuz and expressed that she’d love to celebrate with an artist in that way.
Brandy and Monica had an on-and-off friendship
Before working together on “The Boy Is Mine” in 1998, Monica and Brandy didn’t know one another and the public already deemed them as enemies. In a 2012 interview with The Breakfast Club, both ladies said they fed into the negative drama and they weren’t friends.
Years later, they hashed things out and collaborated again on “It All Belongs to Me.” But communication went downhill again and they’ve taken indirect shots at each other on social media over the years. The Verzuz event will mark a special occasion for fans.
When is the Monica vs. Brandy Verzuz battle?
Fans can tune in for the party on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. EST via the Verzuz Instagram account or Apple Music.
Both singers are looking forward to the event and will be sharing the space at Tyler Perry Studios. Fans are hype. Most want to know who’s going to drop “The Boy Is Mine” in their lineups and many believe this battle will draw the largest crowd for Verzuz thus far.
Monica shared the announcement on her Instagram page and wrote, “This will be historical …. It’s an honor @brandy.” Brandy wrote a similar message and thanked Monica and the Verzuz team for making this a reality.
The timing works well for the queens as women are being celebrated in music right now, and Brandy released a new album, B7, on July 31. It’d been eight years since she dropped any new projects.
Monica is said to also be working on a new album called Chapter 38. While fans are looking forward to hearing their classics, — they both started out as teen singers — there’s a chance both singers will surprise everyone with new songs.
