12 pop culture moments that helped us survive 2020

The Verzuz battle series

Created by musician/producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland, the Verzuz battle series has grown from a novel way of bringing hip-hop’s past to today’s audience into a must-watch pop culture phenomenon. In some ways, it was meant to take the place of live shows and music festivals that were sidelines by the COVID-19 pandemic. The set up reimagines the DJ battles of hip-hop’s early years, and features two prominent producers/singers/songwriters pairing up live on Instagram in a competition to decide who has the better catalog. Each battle goes twenty rounds, with each contestant playing a hit and hearing a rebuttal.

Verzuz is nostalgic fun, pairing up such fan-favorite acts as Brandy vs. Monica, 2 Chainz vs. Rick Ross, Ludacris vs. Nelly, and, most recently, Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle. While the results are somewhat unreliable–all winners are determined by audience members who tune in with their own biases–the digital series does a wonderful job of connecting musicians with their fans, providing invaluable entertainment in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late July, the series partnered with Apple Music, so we can’t wait to see what it’s in store for Verzuz in 2021.