It’s been more than 25 years since Brandy and Monica musically duked it out on their smash “The Boy Is Mine,” but now a third opponent is entering the ring: Ariana Grande, who announced that she’s enlisting the duo for a remix of her Eternal Sunshine track of the same name Monday (June 17).
Sharing an animated cityscape teaser for the project — featuring a snippet of her own vocal runs on the revamped version of the track — the 30-year-old pop star began by saying, “i ……… cannot believe this is real (i don’t know if i will even long after it’s out).”
“my deepest and sincerest thank you to Brandy and Monica, not only for joining me for this moment, but for your generosity, your kindness, and for the countless ways in which you have inspired me,” she continued on Instagram. “it is near impossible to say how much this means to me. this is in celebration of you both and the impact that you have had on every vocalist, vocal producer, musician, artist that is creating today.”
Grande also confirmed that the remix will arrive Friday (June 21). “i loooooove you both so so much,” she added. “thank you !!!!!!!”
The announcement comes just 10 days after Brandy and Monica made surprise cameos in the “7 Rings” singer’s “The Boy Is Mine” music video, which also starred Penn Badgley opposite Grande’s Catwoman-esque leading lady. The mononymous R&B icons spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 with the original “The Boy Is Mine,” which served as the Wicked star’s clear inspiration in penning her version of the song for her Billboard 200-topping album Eternal Sunshine.
Grande seemingly first teased Brandy and Monica’s involvement on the track by interpolating the hook of their original “The Boy Is Mine” duet at the end of her performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which aired the night before the star’s latest music video dropped June 7. Supported by the visual — and now, the remix — “The Boy Is Mine” is officially the third single off Eternal Sunshine, following Billboard Hot 100-toppers “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends.”
See Grande’s announcement below.
