Brandy and Monica release 'The Boy Is Mine' duet in May 1998

On 19 May 1998, R&B singers Brandy and Monica released "The Boy Is Mine", a duet in which two women spar over the same man. The song was written by Brandy with producer Rodney Jerkins and his collaborators, and Jerkins produced it. It appeared on both singers' albums that year: Brandy's "Never Say Never" and Monica's "The Boy Is Mine".

The single was a huge commercial success. It spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main US singles chart, and became one of the biggest hits of the decade. It also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

At the time, Brandy and Monica were both teenagers and already established stars. The song's playful, rivalry-themed lyrics and the pairing of two young performers drew wide public attention, and the pair were often discussed as rivals. The duet became a defining moment in late-1990s R&B and cemented both careers. Its lasting popularity is the reason a reunion built around it still draws interest decades later.