Singing battles are one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the music industry. With that said, it is also a place where many talented people have come to show off their talents and become successful or gain more adoring fans because of it.
The Verzuz Battles
The most recent singing battle that has garnered the attention of many people worldwide was the Instagram-based Live Broadcast called Verzuz.
Verzuz is a show that came to light during the 2019 covid pandemic by record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, first introducing the series as a virtual DJ battle. Verzuz battles would eventually be a weekly show that would put well-known icons of the RnB genre and thrown into a tight friendly battle with each other.
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The show started due to lockdown boredom. Still, it suddenly escalated to something more by featuring RnB celebrities with the hottest hits battling it out with their songs. The show would lead to the revival of the RnB genre, helping it find relevance in the current times.
Verzuz was divided into multiple categories, bringing more excitement to the show. The show would invite different musicians to go neck and neck against each other, like would-be songwriters who will go against songwriters.
They also invited producers who would compete against their fellow producers. As the show grew, the battles would go on in different subcategories.
Keyshia Cole Vs. Ashanti
Keyshia Cole, recognized as the princess of Hip-hop Soul, has made a name for herself because of her soulful voice. Meanwhile, Ashanti is an artist recognized for her extraordinary voice and for featuring in multiple hit songs. She also became the first woman to peak at the top two slots in the Billboard Hot 100.
Another thing that has brought the attention of many is the battle of two beloved artists in the RnB genre. The audience enjoyed the Keyshia Cole Vs. Ashanti battle, loving the dynamic performance as they anticipated who would win.
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The battle of Ashanti V.S. Keyshia was initially planned for December 21st, 2020. However, the show was postponed because Ashanti became infected with the covid virus.
It was delayed for the second time since the surge of the Covid-19 pandemic hit a toll on America. On top of that, there was also the incident in Washington, where rioters raided the capitol.
The Ashanti Vs. The Keyshia battle in Verzuz finally occurred on January 21st, 2021. Their singing skills and discography would be a tie as the two contestants have provided both fantastic performances. In the end, the one who won the Ashanti and Keyshia Cole Verzuz’s battle with a score of 12 to 10 was Ashanti.
Ashanti would entertain the audience with little snippets of information about herself between the breaks of each song. She would give the Instagram crowd a chill performance, using the hit songs from her discography, while her opponent would use this chance to show off her new songs.
The performances of the two artists made fans take a trip back to memory lane. The battle between Keyshia Cole and Ashanti was nostalgic as it was a split-screen presentation that reminded them of the days of the show’s beginnings.
How The Fans Reacted
Verzuz is a show in a unique setting because it’s an Instagram live stream. It provides a trademark that distinguishes Verzuz from other shows focusing on singing.
The real-time comment section can give a whole new experience for music and a platform for the audience to share with the contestants. It gives them a close-up opportunity to interact with their idols and discover new artists to add to their playlists.
The relationship between Keyshia Cole and Ashanti has been going well. Their Verzuz battle would have a lot of iconic moments as much as hilarious ones. For instance, Keyshia Cole called Ashanti “thicker than a snicker,” showing excellent sportsmanship before and after the rivalry, even after who won.
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Ashanti also proved to be a good sport as she covered for Keyshia Cole when she was late. The audience would show displeasure as Keyshia arrived an hour later when the stream started. During that time, Ashanti did everything to reassure the watchers that her “sister” would come.
The audience wasn’t exactly happy that they had to wait for the show to start for almost 2 hours. People were eager to witness who had won the Verzuz battle of Ashanti and Keyshia Cole. Ashanti would try to entertain and distract the audience as best as she could as the other contestant made her way to the contest.
Eventually, when Keyshia arrived, half the audience tried to give the benefit of the doubt regarding the tardiness of the singer. At the same time, the other half was already upset because of how delayed the show was.
The fans were left with a slight distaste for the overall quality of the live stream. Not only were they upset over Verzuz’s production value, but what also struck them was the unprofessionalism of Keyshia.
Keyshia’s attitude was another factor fans picked up during the show. She would then get constantly picked on for the fact that she was unprofessional and that the way she was acting was “too much.” The audience kept mentioning that the reason Ashanti was the one who won the Verzuz battle in the first place was because of how rude Keyshia was for the entire duration of the battle.
The commentators filled the comment section, pointing out how it was weird and that something was not right about the audio, as Keyshia would have a delayed instrumental as she sang. The hate and backlash didn’t end there, and comments claimed that Keyshia was also drunk.
Why Was Keyshia Cole Late for the Versuz Battle?
Right after the show, the princess of Hip-Hop Soul would claim that the delay was due to the malfunction of devices on her part. Keyshia released a statement 2 days after the show, saying she should have stayed in the live stream despite technical difficulties like her microphone and camera not working well.
She claims that her camera was blurry, and she wanted to improve the quality of her camera and microphone. She tried to give the audience a smooth time, so she got it fixed, resulting in the long waiting time.
So, Who Won?
Who won Verzuz battle Ashanti and Keyshia Cole? It was Ashanti who took home the win. The RnB singer paved her way to victory as she earned the hearts and favor of the show’s spectators.
The battle has once again introduced RnB songs to the fans. Verzuz gives its contestants the exposure and recognition they deserve.
But whoever your best bet is, we know both singers were amazing, giving audiences a great show. If you would like to watch a replay of their live-stream battle, you can do so in a recap video below.