Fans React to Keyshia Cole and Ashanti’s Long-Awaited ‘Verzuz’ Battle

After weeks of anticipation and multiple postponements, Keyshia Cole and Ashanti‘s Verzuz battle went down Thursday night; however, it didn’t get off to the smoothest start.

The long-awaited livestream was scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, but didn’t begin until about an hour later. Viewers didn’t hesitate to express their frustration on social media, especially after the artists seemingly rushed through rounds in the interest of saving time. Ashanti appeared to poke fun at the delay by playing her and Ja Rule’s 2001 hit “Always on Time,” and telling the audience: “Just in case some of y’all were late.”

Some fans also pointed out that Cole appeared to be somewhat miffed at the beginning of the event, which, of course, set a bad tone.

But thankfully for viewers, Cole appeared to be having more fun as the battle progressed, with some suspecting the shift was alcohol-induced.

Oh, and on top of all that, there were also some sound issues.

But fans weren’t left completely disappointed. Some who tuned in said they enjoyed the nostalgia factor and revisiting their favorite R&B hits from the aughts. And although they didn’t end the battle with their joint track, “Woman to Woman,” Cole and Ashanti gifted fans with new music before signing off.

You can read more reactions to the battle below.