Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle Are Facing Off in Next ‘Verzuz’ Battle
Verzuz will feature its two most iconic artists yet when Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle square off on the quarantine-era song battle show. Brandy and Monica duked it out on the last Verzuz stream.
Knight and LaBelle’s match-up will air on Sunday, September 13th simultaneously via the Verzuz Instagram Live and Apple Music at 8 p.m. EST. The legends will be on stage together at Philadelphia venue the Fillmore.
“The Master Class we’ve ALL been waiting for! Y’all gotta get dressed up in ya Sunday’s best for this classic affair,” read the caption in the Verzuz announcement. “Leave ya church clothes on all Sunday and pull up to the affair of all affairs.”
Launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland back in March, Verzuz has become a popular series as people shelter in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the early months of quarantine, various rappers, singers, producers and songwriters squared off remotely and cycled through multiple rounds of playing their hits, deep cuts and fan favorites. No winner is officially crowned during the telecast, although the thousands of viewers who tune in often crown their own winner on social media in the days following. Since partnering with Apple Music in July, the production has now moved to venues.
Brandy and Monica’s Verzuz battle broke all previous records for the series. More than six million viewers tuned in across all livestreaming platforms, with 1.2 million concurrents on Instagram Live alone. Both R&B stars saw their streams increase the week following their appearance on the show.
View this post on InstagramThe Master Class we’ve ALL been waiting for! @MsGladysKnight vs. @MsPattiLaBelle ? Live from The Fillmore in Philly this Sunday at 5PM PT/8PM ET. The ultimate #Verzuz! Leave ya church clothes on all Sunday and pull up to the affair of all affairs. Y’all gotta get dressed up in ya Sunday’s best for this one. Watch it on our @VerzuzTV IG or in HD on @AppleMusic. Drinks by @Ciroc.
