Verzuz Cheat Sheet: Brandy x Monica

On Monday, August 31, the esteemed Verzuz battle series—which you can watch right here on Apple Music—presents a matchup that first took place over 20 years ago. Brandy and Monica, two singularly named essential queens of ’90s R&B, were already stars when they came together for 1998’s “The Boy Is Mine.” Having both released debut projects while barely in their teens, the singers forced long-established fanbases—largely shared, if we’re being honest—to pick a side with that radio-conquering collaboration. The song pitted the women against each other in a way not dissimilar to this Verzuz faceoff, an opportunity for each to revel in the other’s talent—with a focus on cultural impact now, as opposed to the attention of some trifling dude—with the ultimate winner, as always, being the fans. They’ve carved out significantly different if equally fulfilling paths as singers over the years, and their Verzuz battle can only reinforce how lucky we were for the pair to have met on that initial collaboration. They’d give us one more in 2012, with a title that foretells how they’ll both likely be approaching this faceoff: “It All Belongs to Me.” See how their catalogues match up with the official Brandy x Monica Cheat Sheet playlist, as curated by Apple Music host Lowkey.