The Biggest Moments From Brandy & Monica's Iconic R&B 'Verzuz' Battle

Brandy and Monica made it clear Monday night that their timeless catalogs are why they're both considered R&B blueprints.

On Monday night 1.2 million viewers tuned in for a battle of the ages: Brandy and Monica’s R&B Verzuz challenge. Hosted at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, the two trailblazers held their own over a course of three hours. 

The beginning of the Verzuz battle was led by a surprise video by Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris. During her special moment, she shared, “I just wanted to thank you ladies, you queens, you stars.” Harris also added: “Thank you for doing this for When We All Vote. It’s so important for everyone. You both used your voice in such a powerful way, and an extension of our voices is our vote.”

In case you didn’t tune in, Brandy spent the Verzuz battle throwing slight jabs that were hilarious. She also sang quite a few runs during the battle. While Monica kept things cordial throughout the night, she reminisced alongside Brandy on her biggest hits. Below, we’re sharing a few highlights of the evening that were our favorites. 

1. Brandy’s “Full Moon” vs. Monica’s “So Gone”

The two savored the moments when both of these tracks rang off. When “Full Moon” played, both Brandy and Monica vibed to it. When the song wrapped Monica said, “Full Moon is so serious.” When “So Gone” played Monica shared there were emotional and romantic inclinations behind this deep cut from 2003.

2. Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down” vs. Monica’s “Don’t Take It Personal”

Since these were their two debut singles, the two relished hearing the production and vocals that make up these tracks. Before Brandy played “I Wanna Be Down” she shared a special story about meeting Tupac in the ‘90s who she claims knew who she was. A clip of his track featuring Brandy “Me and My Girlfriend” was then played. Following this Monica’s stunning 1995 debut stole the show.

3. Monica’s "Before You Walk Out Of My Life" vs. Brandy's "Sitting Up In My Room" 

After a few rounds going back and forth, the heavy-hitting deep cuts began to surface. Before Monica’s DJ hit play on “Before You Walk Out My Life” she spoke on the infamous white shoes from the video, this was one of her funnier moments of the evening. She also shared it’s one of her favorites to sing live. After this, Brandy brags a bit by sharing “Sitting Up In My Room” came into fruition thanks to Babyface.

4. Monica’s "Sideline Ho" vs. Brandy's "Put That on Everything" 

Caresha aka Yung Miami from City Girls received a shoutout from Monica before she played “Sideline Ho,” an underrated 2007 anthem speaking to her younger years. This led to Monica offering a bit of comedic relief over the title of the track. Brandy then offered up “Put That on Everything.”

Final Moment

Saving “The Boy Is Mine” by both singers was a superior move. For the final moment, both Brandy and Monica stood. Brandy took control of the vocals for the track while Monica pretty much watched, it was a bit weird, but we’ll take it! The duo hugged it out before the entire Verzuz abruptly ended.

In total, the Verzuz battle was an enjoyable watch. Brandy and Monica kept sharing they were enjoying the evening even if their body language didn’t match up. Their friendly banter and memories from the ‘90s and ‘00s mixed with Deep South hits kept the night running smoothly. The matchup was fair and it was a tie, we’d say they were both winners. It was also brilliant that both titans were able to play some of their newer tracks, Brandy threw in “Borderline” from her newest album B7 while Monica played a new single featuring Lil Baby, “Trenches.” Both singers provided blueprints for today’s R&B singers, this Verzuz made that clear. 

Take a look at the entire battle and a few of our favorite tweets from the evening below.