The Boy Is Mine reigns atop the US charts in 1998

ON May 19 in 1998, singers Brandy and Monica released the duet The Boy Is Mine, which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained on the top spot for 13 weeks.

The R&B pop song is of course, about two women fighting over a man. Brandy who co-wrote the song said The Boy Is Mine was inspired by an episode of The Jerry Springer Show, the tabloid talk show that sometimes feature guests fighting about their messy relationships.

“I’m a big fan of Jerry Springer’s. And girls fight over guys every day, and they battle with each other. They try to kill each other over guys. I don’t know what for, but they do. It’s entertaining. Maybe it doesn’t send out a positive message, but it entertains me. I laughed so hard,” she said in an interview with Orlando Sentinel back in 1999.

Interestingly, Brandy had recorded The Boy Is Mine asa solo track, but then decided it would be more apt to release it as a duet with Monica.

“There was all this stuff about me and Monica being rivals so we thought it would be great if we came together and made history. Monica thought it was a great idea. She came in and did her part. We got to hang out and we got to know each other,” Brandy shared through SoulTracks.com.

Well, good things happen when Brandy and Monica put their alleged differences aside. The Boy Is Mine earned a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and was also certified as the best-selling single in the US in 1998, with over 2.5 million copies sold. – Angelin Yeoh