Brandy vs. Monica. Monica vs. Brandy. For R&B heads such as myself, this was the matchup that we’ve all been waiting for. So many questions are left unanswered. Was there a tension between Brandy and Monica? What’s the origin of “The Boy is Mine”? Who is really the bigger or better artist? While we may never know the real answers to these questions, the one thing that remains is this Verzuz battle was epic and very telling.
Before we go into the stand out moments, let’s rewind time for a bit. At the age of 15, Brandy came on the music scene with purpose. “I Wanna Be Down” immediately hit the charts at number 6. Her second single, “Baby,” hit number 4, and “Broken-hearted,” which features Wanye Morris of Boyz II Men, snuck in at number 9 on the billboard charts. Monica, who somehow news labeled as Brandy’s Frenemies, wasn’t far behind. Her single “Don’t take it Personal” debuted at number 82 on the charts, and boy did that record grow on us. In less than 2 months, it peaked at number 2 on the charts. Her next single, “Before you walk out of my life,” hit number 7, and “Why I love you so much” reached number 9.
The marketing was almost identical. Brandy reached number 2 with “Sittin’ Up In My Room,” which was on the Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack. Monica did the same. Her single “For you, I will” on the Space Jam Soundtrack went number 4. Both had huge features. Both had remixes. Both became iconic and legendary.
Let’s skip ahead to the Verzuz. Years later and nothing has changed. What did we see? We witnessed awkward moments and tension between the two. We caught a few shots and low blows. Brandy sang her ass off and even invited Monica to an impromptu collaboration, which Monica smoothly declined. I’m just happy both Queens were able to keep their composure and do us proud. The song selections were damn near flawless. While most view the Verzuz as a battle, this was definitely a celebration. If it were a battle, I would give the win to Brandy off performance and shade alone.
Who really won? We did. The fans of great music. The fans of nostalgia. The lovers of R&B. The often pushers of the rewind button. Think about your first love. Think about the person you had a crush on but was too scared to approach. Think about how scared love was and how much that first heartbreak hurt. We still feel these feelings today. If I left with one defining feel based on this union, it would be that great music is timeless. Our feelings and emotions are timeless. Love is timeless. Let’s keep music alive. Our Queens represented. Let’s salute them.
