In May, I experienced what felt like a personal concert by two of my favorite performers. Really, I was sitting in my living room, and 700,000 other people were watching too.

It was the latest “Verzuz” battle–in which two artists perform from their homes while fans egg them on in the comments–and the competitors were Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. But the event felt more like a celebration than a duel. Scott and Badu discussed homeschooling their children, shared stories behind hit songs and complimented each other’s work. Michelle Obama even left comments and tagged her husband.

The series was launched in March by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, and whenever one of these battles happens, I see all the black people on my Twitter feed talking about it. Despite our physical distance, it feels like a group activity, a barbecue or cookout that everyone attends to gossip or hype one another up while enjoying some amazing music.