Brandy and Monica get tough in ‘It All Belongs to Me’ video
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Fourteen years after battling over a boy -- in song, at least -- Brandy and Monica are channeling their best “Thelma & Louise” in the video for their latest duet, “It All Belongs to Me,” which the R&B divas premiered late Monday.
In the sassy Chris Robinson-directed clip, the ladies are each dumping less-than-worthy suitors, yet not before instructing them to leave the relationship with what they brought to it. Apparently, the clothes, cars, rings and MacBook all belong to the girls (they are nice enough to let their lads log off of Facebook). Despite things getting a little messy, the ladies pull off the dirty work in stunning evening wear.
Fans of the two have for years been longing for a followup to their Grammy Award-winning duet, 1998’s ‘The Boy Is Mine.’ Speculation of an impending reunion was fueled when Brandy signed a new deal with RCA Records, making the two longtime friends labelmates.
“The evolution of us as women and as mothers has allowed us to be in a space where we can converse with one another; we could relate,” Monica told The Times when we caught up with them at rehearsal. “We could express ourselves in the proper way, instead of the way we did in the ‘90s.’ (Rumors of catfights and tension followed the two immediately after the song was released).
“And I think we just sound good together,” Brandy added. “I say that humbly. It feels good to sing with someone that I admire and sing a song that I love. [Producer and songwriter] Rico Love did a great job with the track. It feels great to be back onstage with Monica.”
The new video doesn’t come without a share of bittersweetness. It is dedicated to Whitney Houston, who died last month on the eve of the Grammys. The pop titan was a prolific influence on the two and became a friend and mentor.
When we dropped by the Beverly Hilton Hotel to watch rehearsals for Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala -- the two were tapped to perform the song for the first time there -- Houston was present to give Brandy and Monica vocal tips. Her sudden death came a few hours before the gala, which carried on in her honor. Brandy and Monica attended the event, but pulled out of the performance. They premiered the track a week later on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”
‘It All Belongs to Me’ will appear on Monica’s upcoming disc, ‘New Life,’ set for release April 10, and Brandy’s RCA debut, ‘Two Eleven,’ which the singer said will hit stores in the spring.
Check out the video below: RELATED:
Brandy and Monica plot ‘The Boy Is Mine’ follow-up
Monica: Despite travails, an R&B singer returns to form
Brandy discusses label politics and why she ‘wants to win’
-- Gerrick D. Kennedy
twitter.com/GerrickKennedy
