07/01/2021
Despite Verzuz battles originating with hip hop producers and rappers, the faceoffs between R&B and soul artists have historically been the most popular. Earlier this year, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott drew over one million total viewers; Alicia Keys and John Legend’s Juneteenth Verzuz battle attracted a similarly-sized audience. And Patti LaBelle vs. Gladys Knight brought in over 600,000 viewers at one point.
Brandy and Monica‘s Verzuz battle has been the most successful Verzuz to date — not just because of the record-breaking 6 million viewers who tuned in, but because it was a cultural moment almost a decade in the making. Brandy and Monica notably have had a rocky public relationship since their 1998 hit collab “The Boy is Mine,” and they patched things up once and for all on the Verzuz stage.
The Verzuz battle between Ashanti and Keyshia Cole would be a first as two R&B divas who debuted in the 2000s would go head-to-head and hit-for-hit for countless adoring fans.
