Brandy and Monica officially kicked off their long-awaited Boy Is Mine tour this week, and the first stop proved that the R&B icons are rewriting the narrative around their partnership.
According to Hot 97, midway through their set, Brandy turned to Monica with genuine admiration, praising her vocals in front of the crowd. “Your voice sounds crazy good,” Brandy told her co-headliner, underscoring a moment of mutual respect that set the tone for the night.
The support carried extra weight in light of Monica’s recent health scare. Just two weeks before the tour, she revealed on Instagram Live that she had been diagnosed with temporary paralysis in her right vocal cord. “I thank God for where I am because we found out…that my right cord has temporary paralysis,” Monica explained, with Brandy sitting beside her.
Brandy acknowledged the challenge, adding that she couldn’t even begin to imagine what Monica had been “going through vocally.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, vocal cord paralysis occurs when nerve impulses to the larynx are disrupted, leaving the muscles unable to move. Beyond affecting singing, the condition can also make speaking and even breathing difficult.
Monica emphasized that despite the diagnosis, she was determined to deliver, telling fans she was grateful just to “get the songs out.”
On stage, that determination showed. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that their performance at Fiserv Forum spanned nearly two hours, revisiting classics from both artists while also spotlighting their duet that kicked off one of the most infamous "rivalries" in R&B history.
The show opened with a visual of the two entering a golden elevator, symbolically rising through their careers, with each floor marked by one of their hits.
Brandy delivered crowd favorites like "Full Moon" and "Afrodisiac," while Monica energized the arena with tracks including "Everytime Tha Beat Drop" and "The First Night."
The set design leaned into their distinct roots—Brandy honoring her California upbringing, Monica paying homage to her Atlanta foundation—before converging in moments that highlighted their shared legacy.