The boy is theirs! As multi-generational fans enjoy Ariana Grande's new remix of 'The Boy Is Mine' featuring Brandy and Monica, the Grammy-winning 'So Gone' star talks about how the star-studded collaboration sparked true healing for her and Brandy.
“The process of the new collaboration closed a lot of gaps,” said Monica Entertainment tonight. “When you communicate properly, something – you can find not only solutions and solutions to problems – but sometimes you find that there were never any problems, just constant miscommunication.”
Brandy and Monica collaborated on the original “The Boy Is Mine” in 1998, spending 13 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy together in the process. During the song's reign and in the years since, the two R&B icons have long been rumored to be dynamic, with their rocky relationship becoming a key part of the song's lore. Now, more than 25 years after “The Boy Is Mine” first entered the modern American pop canon, the two singers have found a way to move on and maintain their friendship.
“We recognized that the key was to keep other people out of our relationship, both professional and personal, and keep it between her and me, and that has changed everything. It changed his entire trajectory,” the “Angel of Mine” singer said. “My son was in the hospital the other day and she was the one I talked to while he was there, so I think that's what Ariana has done that she might not even realize.”
Grande originally released the Billboard 200-topping “The Boy Is Mine.” Eternal sunshine LP earlier this year, with the track becoming an instant fan favorite. On its debut album, “The Boy Is Mine” entered the Hot 100 at No. 16. This week (chart dated June 22), the song re-entered the Hot 100 at No. 64, following the release of the inspirational by Catwoman Music Video starring Penn Badgley. The music video also featured cameos from Brandy and Monica, giving fans a little Easter egg for the new remix. Grande's track is inspired by Brandy and Monica's original duet — which Advertising sign has been called the best karaoke duet of all time — but the remix inserts elements from the 1998 chart-topping hook.
“I've always said that singing shouldn't be touched, right? And I said that because I felt like I didn't need to redo it with the idea of, let's say, actually doing it the way it was,” Monica explained. “But Ariana and [producer] Max Martin — as soon as I heard this version, I fell in love with it.”
According to Monica — who recently headlined the Blavity House launch party in Nashville — Grande sent her flowers and a note. The “We Can't Be Friends” singer also went on FaceTime with Monica, Brandy and their respective families. “What amazes me so much is her humility, her compassion,” Monica gushed. “It all came straight from her chest and, for me, the authenticity, the humility, that's all key.”
The new remix marks the second reimagining of the Grande one Eternal sunshine dance floor. Earlier this year, the Grammy winner linked up with Mariah Carey for a new version of her chart-topper “Yes, And?”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/monica-reacts-ariana-grande-boy-is-mine-remix-brandy-1235715276/
