"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American recording artists Brandy and Monica. The song was written and composed by LaShawn Daniels, Japhe Tejeda, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Brandy with co-production by Darkchild and Dallas Austin, and was released as the lead single from both singers' second albums, Never Say Never (1998) by Brandy and the album of the same name (1998) by Monica, during the second quarter of 1998. Described as an answer song to Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine", the lyrics of the mid-tempo contemporary R&B track revolve around two women disputing the love of a man.