LL Cool J, Mario and rapper O.T. Genasis were among the surprise guests at night two of Brandy and Monica‘s “The Boy Is Mine” tour in Los Angeles Sunday, as the artists helped to close out Brandy’s hometown shows in style.
Genasis appeared midway through the show, with the rapper performing his hit single “Cut It” in front of a sold-out crowd at Kia Forum in Inglewood, just north of where he grew up in Long Beach. LL Cool J took the stage next, with Monica teasing that, “I know what ladies love.” The rapper performed his hits “Luv U Better” and “Doin’ It,” whipping many of the women in the crowd into a frenzy while simultaneously working the stage as hype man for the concert. Mario was the next surprise guest, leading a spirited sing-along to “Let Me Love You,” with the singer praising Brandy and Monica’s tour and calling it “a night to celebrate R&B.” L.A. rapper Blxst also hit the stage, performing his 2020 viral hit, “Chosen.”
But the night belonged to Brandy and Monica, who have reunited after releasing “The Boy Is Mine” in 1998 to celebrate their number-one hit while both marking more than 30 years in the industry.
Indeed, the nostalgia was on full display throughout the night, which saw Brandy and Monica trading songs — and sets — like an amplified Verzuz battle. Both singers have released multiple albums that are now part of R&B canon, and they drew liberally from their enduring discographies for the show, including songs from Brandy’s quintuple-platinum Never Say Never and acclaimed 2004 album Afrodisiac, and Monica’s 1995 debut Miss Thang and 2003 comeback album After the Storm among others.
It’s a testament to their voices and songwriting that many of the tracks sound as fresh as ever, with an amped-up version of Brandy’s “Full Moon,” and Monica’s defiant “So Gone” drawing huge cheers from the crowd. A ballad section was at once intimate and stirring, with Brandy next to a piano for her earnest 1995 hit “Brokenhearted,” while Monica’s voice on “Love All Over Me” filled the rafters with the slow jam soaring in an arena setting.
As for the so-called “rivalry” between Brandy and Monica? The singers chose to let their voices do the talking, with any mentions of the supposed feud left to interstitial clips shown between sets (both singers attributed it more to media sensationalism than how they really felt about each other). The clips also offered a heartwarming look back at some of Brandy and Monica’s career-defining moments, including Brandy’s star turn as the first Black Cinderella (in a 1997 Disney TV movie) and a young Monica’s performance with Whitney Houston, where the legendary singer asked the then-16-year-old Monica to “Shoop” with her. Brandy and Monica have long hailed Houston as one of their biggest musical influences, and the two paid tribute to the late singer with a duet of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” which had the entire arena on its feet.
“Monica and I both sang ‘The Greatest Love of All’ to get our record deals — and they signed us,” Brandy told the crowd.
The highlight of the night came towards the end of the two-hour long show, with a back to back “Angels” section, featuring Brandy’s “Angel in Disguise,” followed by Monica’s number-one single, “Angel of Mine.” The two then sat together on stage as Brandy delivered a moving rendition of “Have You Ever” (with Monica hyping up the crowd next to her), before Monica took it home with her 1996 hit “For You I Will. Both songs were written by Diane Warren, so the poignant moment also served as a nice tribute to the Grammy-nominated songwriter.
The sight of the two stars holding hands and sitting together on stage made for a powerful image, and one that transcended music into womanhood, friendship and unity. “It’s so good to have each other’s support,” Monica said. “We’d loved performing together for you.”
Brandy echoed the sentiments just before the two ascended a floating stage for their hit duet — and the final song of the night.
“‘The Boy Is Mine’ needed to have Monica,” Brandy said. “It would not have been the same without you.”
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