Kamala Harris surprises viewers on Brandy and Monica’s Verzuz battle
Former first lady Michelle Obama also tuned into the livestreamed broadcast
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on last night’s episode of Verzuz, which saw iconic Nineties singers Brandy and Monica square off.
Before the hit-for-hit battle began, the vice-presidential candidate surprised viewers with a video appearance.
Harris thanked both singers for using their platform to advocate for Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote registration initiative. She said, “You both used your voices in such a powerful way and an extension of our voices is our vote, right?”
She also declared, “I’m such a huge fan of both of you.”
Michelle Obama also tuned into the broadcast. At one point during the song battle, the former first lady commented, “This is my jam!”.
The event marked the first time Brandy and Monica had been seen together for at least eight years, following rumours of an ongoing feud between the two singers.
The episode, which aired on 1 September, broke records for Verzuz, reaching 1 million concurrent views and peaking at 1.2 million.
The competition, which sees a number of music heavyweights facing one another with their biggest hits, was launched in March. Previous installations of the series have featured DMX vs Snoop Dogg, and 2 Chainz vs Rick Ross.
During the highly anticipated episode, the pair – who collaborated on the 1998 hit “The Boy Is Mine” – also addressed their past tensions, which Monica claimed was “brilliant marketing” for their song.
The beloved R&B duo were the subject of major tabloid scrutiny during the Nineties, over speculation that the feud in their song had spilled over into a real-life one.
While they consistently denied any rift, a planned performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards – where “The Boy is Mine” won Best R&B Song by a Group or Duo – was called off.
The two singers expressed their admiration and respect for one another throughout the three-hour livestreamed event.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments