I think we can all agree that 2020 has been one of the craziest years our generation has seen. We are living through a global pandemic, have witnessed legends’ pass, and we have been stuck in the house for about six months now. But through all this craziness, so many things have been created that will probably change culture forever. Legendary producers, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, turned their friendly rivalry and took it to Instagram live and made a platform for two black artists to showcase music that shares a familiar sound and audience. But twitter has taken this idea and took it upon themselves to nominate who they want to see in the next Verzuz showdown. So far, we have witnessed Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu, Alicia keys vs. John Legend, and most recently, Brandy vs. Monica, and unfortunately, we still didn’t figure out who the boy belonged to. But after some research, there are still some people we would like to see before the year is over.
SZA vs. Jhené Aiko
SZA and Jhené Aiko both have been in the game for a while now. Jhené Aiko began her career in 2002 when she contributed vocals and appeared in several music videos for R&B group B2K. Fast forward to 2013 when Aiko released her debut Ep Sail Out, which debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, and from there, you should know the rest! As for SZA, her career took off in 2012, she self-released her debut EP See SZA Run, and three years later, she released Z, her third EP. SZA then realized her most popular album to date, Ctrl, and it debuted at number three on the US billboard 200. Both artists have put in work to be considered one of the greats in our generation, and with the track record they already have, I think everyone would be ecstatic to see those two beside each other sharing hits.
Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B
Now, this is a battle I’m sure will never happen, but at least we can dream. Yes, Nicki Minaj has been in the game way longer than Cardi B, and she would have more songs to play. Still, Cardi B has had a few hits within the last couple of years with her debut studio album, Invasion of privacy debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Her album broke several streaming records and was certified platinum. With hits like Bodak Yellow, I like it and Drip it’s safe to say that Cardi B has earned her seat at the Verzuz table. As for Nicki Minaj, she doesn’t need an introduction. We all know what she has done for the female rap game for the last ten plus years. With five studio albums, Nicki Minaj is cited as one of the most influential female rap artists of all time; she has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the world’s best-selling artists. These artists will go down in history, and seeing a nice friendly battle between the two would make the fans go crazy.
Beyoncé vs. Rihanna
This would break the internet. This collaboration will also probably never happen, but once again the beehive and the navy can dream. Beyonce nor Rihanna need absolutely no introduction; both women have changed the music industry in significant ways. Beyoncé is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide and Forbes has ranked her as the most powerful female in the entertainment industry in 2015 and 2017. I think we can all agree that she is the queen. As for Rihanna music-wise, she has done so much in such a short period she has earned 14 number ones and 31 top ten singles, and that’s only in the US. Besides music, both of these women have influenced fashion and culture in a way that will go down in history. I can only imagine how their Verzuz would be. So I can understand why everyone wants to see this.
There are so many other people I’m sure we would like to see, but all the women listed above have been very influential to society. These Verzuz have been supper meaningful to the quarantine culture, and hopefully, they will continue after all of this is over! Let @hchamptonu on Instagram know who you would want to see in the next Verzuz!