Kandi Crush Battle: Regina Belle vs. Miki Howard

Now THIS is a Kandi Crush Battle for my grown folks! We’re going into the vault for two phenomenal women whose voices helped provide the soundtrack to love, heartbreak, romance, and everything in between. It’s Regina Belle versus Miki Howard, and choosing between these two is not going to be easy.

Miki Howard starts us off with “Until You Come Back to Me.” Miki has always possessed one of those voices where you immediately know who you’re listening to. There’s soul, there’s emotion, and there’s a little bit of attitude in there too. When Miki sings about love, you believe every single word.

Regina Belle answers with “Show Me the Way,” giving us that beautiful, polished R&B sound that made her one of the standout vocalists of her generation. Regina’s voice has always had an elegance to it, but don’t mistake elegance for a lack of power—Miss Regina can SING!

Then we get a little help from Gerald Levert when Miki Howard brings out “That’s What Love Is.” Putting Miki and Gerald together on one record was almost unfair because those are two voices filled with soul. Their chemistry turned the song into a memorable duet about what real love is supposed to feel like.

But Regina has a duet of her own, and this one is HUGE.Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson gave us “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin. The song became a worldwide classic, won major awards, and introduced Regina’s voice to an audience far beyond traditional R&B radio. Decades later, you can hear those opening notes and immediately know what’s coming.

The battle keeps going with Miki’s “Baby, Be Mine” before Regina answers with “Baby Come to Me,” giving us one final round of classic R&B. What I love about this matchup is that we’re celebrating two women who never needed anything but a microphone and a great song. These ladies came from an era when you had to stand there and SING, honey!

Miki gives us that raw, soulful emotion, while Regina brings a smoothness and sophistication that has made her music timeless. So, who are you riding with today? Is it Miki Howard or Regina Belle? Turn these songs up, think about the memories they bring back, and give me your winner in today’s Kandi Crush Battle!