Why Brandy walked off stage during the concert with Monica before ‘The Boy Is Mine’

Fans were a little confused after leaving a concert by Brandy Norwood and Monica Arnold’s The Boys Is Mine Tour this weekend without hearing the duo’s 1998 classic.

The R&B singers were performing at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night when Brandy walked off stage in the middle of a song. In videos In the moment shared on social media, he appeared to be struggling with technical difficulties just before leaving. Some clips show her approaching the sound booth backstage.

“Give me a second,” he says in images recorded by fans. “I have to get my…”

The Grammy winner then disappeared and never returned, leaving Monica to perform the next songs of the set alone. While previous shows concluded with the duo’s number one duet, “The Boy Is Mine” (which gave the tour its name), the Chicago crowd was sent home without hearing the closing number.

Fans reacted with concern and frustration after Saturday’s performance, with one

Now Brandy has addressed her sudden departure in a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly.

“Thank you all for the love, support, and most importantly, your prayers,” Brandy began. “I sincerely apologize for the abrupt end to last night’s performance in Chicago. After weeks of non-stop rehearsals, last night I experienced dehydration and a feeling of fainting. Everyone involved agreed that prioritizing my well-being was of the utmost importance.”

He explained that despite not feeling very well, he decided to act and his team made some technical adjustments. “Unfortunately, it was impossible to fully connect sonically with the production,” Brandy wrote. “I truly appreciate everyone’s best efforts. I am deeply grateful to my sister, Monica, for stepping forward with such grace and professionalism, and to the entire team for their continued care and support.”

Noting that she went straight “from the arena to see a nearby doctor,” Brandy assured fans that she is taking precautions and will return for the singers’ show Sunday night in Indianapolis.

“I hope to return to the stage, stronger and more grateful than ever, with my girl, Monica, tonight in Indianapolis,” he concluded in his statement.

Saturday’s setback comes just three nights into the duo’s reunion tour, which began more than 25 years after the release of their hit “The Boy Is Mine,” which became a cultural phenomenon amid rumors of a feud between the singers.

Whispers of bad blood between Brandy and Monica circulated after the song aired, fueling speculation with its narrative about them fighting over a child. The rumors reached a fever pitch after record producer Dallas Austin Claimed He Saw Monica Hit Brandy in the face backstage at an awards ceremony before the single’s performance.

Brandy’s brother, fellow artist. Ray J, has also said that the dispute was “100 percent real.” claiming that facing each other incited competitiveness between the two women. None of the rumors stopped them from collaborating on the 2012 song “It All Belongs to Me,” having their famous Verzuz battle in 2020, or embarking on their new tour.

Addressing the alleged tension between them in a joint interview with Gayle King in June, Monica said: “It started out as nothing and really turned into something.”

He added that since then they communicated directly because at that time “there was a lot of confusion and conflict and there were a lot of people around.”

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Monica also criticized the music industry for pitting them against each other. “I was 18 and she was 17 when we made the album,” he said. “People forget that you’re having this conversation about kids, basically. You’re inciting a riot among kids! We were teenagers…We didn’t really know each other.”

For her part, Brandy joked, “The song didn’t help either. We were fighting over a child.”

The Boy Is Mine tour will continue with Sunday’s concert at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.