New Music Video: Beni feat. Tynisha Keli - The Boy is Mine

To be honest, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. Many of our old hits in the States have been re-recorded by Japanese artists and I figured it was only a matter of time until the rights to the most successful song Brandy or Monica ever made got snapped up. But, when I first saw Beni's name in the title I was pissed I didn't see 'featuring Crystal Kay!' If Crystal has a closer friend in the industry than BoA, it's Beni, and she would have been sooo hot on this song. Instead, we have Tynisha Keli's vocals to contend with.



Did I say I'd prefer Beni and Crystal Kay? Well, maybe Crystal and Tynisha would do a better job. Beni completely dropped the ball on this; her verses sound like Engrishu karaoke. She put no funk or flavor on the track, which is a damn crime considering all the attitude included in Brandy and Monica's version. Tynisha on the other hand is clearly a native English speaker and has a bit of a voice on her. She didn't exactly give Monica a run for her money, but she definitely held her own. It's clear that Beni and Tynisha actually like each other in real life; they could have used some of that real, tangible enmity that was the driving force behind Brandy and Monica's #1 interpretation. You could tell they couldn't stand each other and did everything they could to blow the other one out of the water.

But, herein lies a thought: Crystal, whenever she decides to attempt the jump to America, should do a classic R&B song as a promo track. This would give new listeners a chance to hear her signature vocal style and exploit their nostalgic weakness. Someone put me in charge of the Crystal crossover -- I'd do that shit right. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for the Girlfriend video...