As longtime collaborators like Ja Rule and Fat Joe filed into the IG live, Keyshia Cole kicked the nostalgic evening off with the very first song. Both ladies shined bright, but here’s how
Billboard scored each round of the battle, with our winner for the entire event revealed at the very end.
Round 1: Keyshia Cole’s “I Changed My Mind” vs. Ashanti’s “Happy”
Ashanti came out the gate swinging with one of the most popular feel-good hits off her self-titled debut, swinging the battle in her favor early.
WINNER: Ashanti
Round 2: Keyshia Cole’s “I Should Have Cheated” vs. Ashanti’s “The Way That I Love You”
January 22nd, 2021 by KRNB
Rob Kim/Getty Images, Gabe Ginsberg/Getty ImagesIt was ladies night for the first Verzuz battle of 2021.
After two delays due to COVID-19, the face-off between
Keyshia Cole and
Ashanti finally went down Thursday night with the two songstresses appearing from separate locations.
The artists were originally supposed to face-off in an in-person battle on December 12, but it was postponed after the “Foolish” singer tested positive for COVID-19. The second, scheduled for January 9, was also pushed back.
After over a hour-long wait, both women showed up fashionably in black outfits with straight hair and Cole wasted no time kicking things off with her 2004 hit “I Changed My Mind.”