Brandy and Monica celebrated 27 years of their 1998 hit song “The Boy Is Mine” with a successful arena tour in 2025. Now, months after the tour ended and ahead of both singers headlining at Essence Fest 2026, Monica recently spoke to Michelle Obama about her relationship with the “Borderline” singer.
Monica appeared on the March 18 episode of Obama’s “IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” podcast. During part of the episode, she discussed the “Boy Is Mine Tour,” noting that she and Brandy needed to come together.
According to the “Angel of Mine” singer, “I kept saying, ‘We just need to speak, because the women we’ve become, I believe they can come together in a completely different capacity.’ And that’s what you saw.”
Monica Opened up About Being Protective of Brandy
GettyObama then asked Monica to share, if she could, some of the conversation that led them to reunite for the tour. She responded, “You know what, I’m very protective of her.” This comment led the former First Lady to note that she noticed this about Monica when she went to their concert and saw them backstage.
Monica then went on to discuss how she and Brandy grew up in the music industry, noting that “A lot was required of her. I did what I wanted, whether it was good or bad. I did what I wanted. She did the right thing all the time, and that’s heavy, that’s a heavy load.”
In discussing the tour, Monica stated that Brandy “challenges herself.” Monica also shared with Obama that Brandy chose the dancers with famed choreographer Frank Gaston as well as the opening for the show, which featured the ladies exiting an elevator featuring many of their respective songs.
For her part, she stated that she was responsible for including visuals for the show that told the story of their careers through various animations, archival footage, and new commentary.
Toward the end of the clip, Monica mentioned their tour stop in Chicago, when Brandy left the stage early due to feeling unwell. She defended her, saying, “That’s like, step off. Give her a moment. She’s given you 30 years of perfection- acting, dancing, singing, all of these things she’s given it to you, so give her some grace.”
They Will Headline Essence Fest 2026
The “Boy Is Mine Tour” ended in December 2025 after being extended from its original 24 dates to 32 stops. Since then, there has been demand for Brandy and Monica to add more dates. Currently, this hasn’t happened. However, they will headline the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture. Other headliners are Cardi B, Patti LaBelle, singer Kehlani, and rapper Latto.
Regarding Brandy, she’s set to release her memoir, PHASES, on March 31. According to Ticketmaster, she has events in Brooklyn and Hollywood to discuss the book. The Hollywood date is March 29, while the Brooklyn stop is on April 1.
