Brandy & Monica draw celeb viewers to Verzuz including Michelle Obama and Mariah Carey
Brandy & Monica’s dual outing on Verzuz Monday drew a cavalcade of famous viewers in the stream, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and Mariah Carey.
The Boy Is Mine singers, who had a real-life rivalry for years, performed in the two-hour special stemming from Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios and airing on Verzuz’s Instagram Live channel, as well as Apple Music and Apple TV.
Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a cameo toward the start of the show.
In demand: Brandy, 41, and Monica, 39, appeared in a dual outing on Verzuz Monday that drew a cavalcade of famous viewers in the stream, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and Mariah Carey
Other notable celebs to appear in the chat stream included Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, Solange Knowles, Tiffany Haddish, Keke Palmer, Zayn Malik, Tyler the Creator, Missy Elliott, Ne-Yo and Chloe x Halle.
The stars were the only ones watching, as the battle garnered more than 1.2 million concurrent streams, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The rivalry between the vocalists dates back to their respective breakouts in the music industry as teens. Brandy’s first big hit was 1994’s I Wanna Be Down, while Monica’s was 1995’s Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days).
The singers famously collaborated on the massive 1998 hit The Boy Is Mine, which garnered them Grammy Awards.
On the campaign trail: Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a cameo toward the start of the show
On the special, the singers – who last worked together eight years ago on the 2012 song It All Belongs to Me – touched on their on-again, off-again rivalry.
Monica told Brandy, ‘I wanted to speak to you face to face, 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.’
Fast fame: Brandy’s first big hit was 1994’s I Wanna Be Down, while Monica’s was 1995’s Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)
Storied past: The singers last worked together eight years ago on the 2012 song It All Belongs to Me
Brandy, replied, ‘I have the utmost love and respect for you as well, for somebody to start at 12 years old … the longevity of your career, nobody [knows] what you’ve been through.’
The Verzuz series is from Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. It began amid the March shutdown, has past featured musical showdowns between Alicia Keys and John Legend, Nelly and Ludacris, DMX and Snoop Dogg and 112 and Jagged Edge.
Keen: Fans pointed out celebrity cameos in the comment thread on the livestream