If you told me two years ago that I’d be seeing Brandy and Monica uniting on stage to perform “The Boy Is Mine,” I would not have believed you! I mean, the world stopped in 2024 when the two played news reporters in Ariana Grande’s music video for a song that pays homage to their 1998 hit! And now the two have joined forces for a must-see co-headline concert tour! Here’s what you missed at their New Orleans tour stop!
From sing-a-longs to shoutouts to fit checks, DJ Fresh (@iamdjfresh) brought the vibes as the crowd rolled in and in between sets! He kept the energy high for over an hour before American Idol Alum, Jamal Roberts, took the stage. The Mississippi native quickly captivated the crowd with his performances of “Nothing Compares” and “Mississippi.” It was easy to see why he took home the title of Season 23 winner of American Idol!
Unfortunately, Muni Long had to exit ‘The Boy Is Mine Tour’ early due to ongoing health issues. We wish her a speedy recovery! In her place, New Orleans got Keyshia Cole and we were not disappointed! The last time I saw the ‘Pricess of Hip-Hop Soul’ was during the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where she surprised the crowd with a performance! Cole performed an array of her hits from “Love” to “Let It Go” to “Heaven Sent” while dressed in an all-Gucci fit! I want to give a personal shoutout to the Black Promoters’ Collective because it’s not easy navigating changes in acts, but they secured a great replacement in a short period of time, guaranteeing fans were not disappointed with the change!
The people can’t say they didn’t get their money’s worth because next up? Kelly Rowland! “It feels so good to be here with you all tonight. Y’all look so beautiful,” Rowland shared. “I’m ready to have a good time with y’all.” And a time was had! Rowland, dressed in all red, was joined on stage by two backup singers and four dancers. She opened her 35-minute set with a showstopping performance of “Motivation.” She has quite the solo catalog, but seeing as she was part of one of the world’s best-selling girl groups, she had to include a Destiny’s Child medley! The energy was unmatched in the arena as she performed “So Good,” “Independent Women, Pt 1,” “Soldier,” “Cater 2 U,” and “Girl.” But my personal favorite part of her set was the cover of Patti Labelle’s “Love, Need and Want You,” before transitioning into her and Nelly’s “Dilemma,” which samples the 1983 hit.
Just before 9:30 pm, the women of the hour took the stage. Brandy and Monica are a dynamic duo. While the tour was structured as the two going back and forth, taking turns to perform tracks from their catalogs, it all felt sisterly versus competitive! For those who don’t know about the infamous “Brandy & Monica beef,” the industry pitted these two powerhouses against each other. To combat the rumors that they didn’t get along, they collaborated in 1998 on their Grammy-award-winning track “The Boy Is Mine,” which inevitably escalated the feud even more! During the show, animated clay puppet versions of the two songstresses were used to tell the story of their 1998 VMAs backstage brawl controversy. But 27 years later, the two joined forces for a must-see production and performed their Billboard No. 1 hit hand and hand!
Feuds aside, those two deserve all the flowers! Brandy quickly reminded us how and why she earned the nickname, ‘Vocal Bible.’ From her performance of “Sittin’ Up In My Room,” to “Almost Doesn’t Count,” to “Full Moon,” the 46-year-old who got her start in a Mississippi Church Choir has solidified herself in R&B history! And Monica? She’s a force – from her performance of “Street Symphony,” accompanied by 9 violinists, to representing Atlanta with a dance break, to taking us back to 1995 with “Before You Walk Out of My Life.”
And speaking of giving flowers, the two made sure to give flowers to a woman they both cherish. Whitney Houston was a mentor and inspiration for both growing up. In 1997, Houston called a teenage Monica up from the audience to sing with her. Meanwhile, the same year, Brandy & Houston met while filming Cinderella, where Houston played her Fairy Godmother! The two had a beautiful video montage play on the screen before joining forces to cover Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).”
At some point, the show had to come to an end. After Brandy performed “Have You Ever?” and Monica performed “For You I Will,” the arena went dark, and everyone was on the edge of their seats. Twenty-seven years later, we all got to see Brandy and Monica perform “The Boy Is Mine” live together! There are only a few more shows left of The Boy Is Mine Tour, but check out blackpromoterscollective.com for more must-see tours like The New Edition Way Tour with New Edition, Boyz II Men & Toni Braxton, plus The Queens featuring Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle and Stephanie Mills.
Use code “TERRELL” for $20 off your first SeatGeek order.
Follow NOLA Concerts for ticket giveaways and more concert tips and tricks like what to bring to a concert and how to get the best tickets!
NOLA Concerts 