New York – Muni Long is well aware of the preciousness of time and its unpredictability. In some ways, the weight of the concept is tied into their music with songs like “30s,” “Time Machine” and their megahit “Hrs & Hrs.” Life can move at a hectic pace, so the Grammy winner acts as if her career is running on borrowed time.
“Years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Kendrick and I was working with another artist. And so, I just kept pushing it back, like ‘Can we move that session forward?’ This was before his ‘Swimming Pool’ thing… and then, he exploded,” the Grammy-winning songwriter recalled. “I understand what it’s like to feel like you’ve lost something or to feel like you’ll never get an opportunity like this again… I’ll never forget that.”
Carpe Diem is always uppermost in the mind of Long, who recently released her latest project, “Revenge,” the follow-up to her 2022 debut “Public Displays of Affection: The Album,” which followed the release of “Hers & Hers Earned a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for “. , His latest work defies the sophomore slump. “Made for Me”, a viral, tender-hearted song, vaguely inspired by their baby son, peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained at No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for seven weeks.
As R&B has experienced a mainstream resurgence, Long is recognized as one of the flag bearers of the genre promoting its comeback.
“I can definitely point to the impact I’ve had on the culture… and it’s not just a certain demographic. These are children. These are older women. These are Christian groups – sometimes they don’t listen to that kind of secular music, they listen to mine,” Long said. “He even sings on stage sometimes: ‘I could praise you for hours.’ It’s incredible – even ‘Made for Me’.
Cutting across the current era of dominant melodic rap atmosphere with vibey, party-first R&B and a more back-to-basics, emotion-on-your-sleeve sound, many fans and critics believe the 14-track project, That includes writing from The Dream, a feature from industry veterans like Jermaine Dupri, Brian-Michael Cox and Tricky Stewart and rap star Glorillah, one of the best R&B releases of the year. Long also believes this.
“We really put a lot of effort into this music. We were intentional about the instruments, the lyrics. This is the first time I went back and changed the lyrics,” said Long, whose “Make Me Forget” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart and “Ruined Me” debuted on that chart this week. Entered the top 10. “People are attracted to light and love… I believe in fairy tales.”
But not all fairy tales always have a happy outcome. While releasing the album, Long revealed that her nearly decade-long marriage to husband and business partner Razian Hairston was tumultuous. His marital troubles, as well as proving to industry critics that his viral hits and talent were not gimmicks, set the tone for the project – choosing happiness rather than bitterness – making it one of the best songs from his debut album. also became more personal.
“There are some songs that I cannot sing and they are also very difficult to listen to. The first time I cried in the studio when I was making something on that album, and I didn’t like it, so I never did it again,” the 36-year-old said, reflecting on herself. Debut. “Through therapy and counseling and prayer and meditation, all of those things, I’ve developed tools to help me feel my feelings and sit with the issues I may be having — trauma and drama as I call it. Like to say – and process it. And this album is a way for me to process.
Long recently completed select dates on Chris Brown’s 11:11 Tour and is working on her marriage problems. Peace is her goal, she said, and her lupus diagnosis is not conducive to stress. Long explains that she didn’t use the word divorce, but “when you talk about ending something, people have done it in a lot of different ways.” The talented singer-songwriter spent more than 15 years behind the scenes as Priscilla Renea, before rebranding herself as Muni Long in 2020, penning hits for powerhouses like Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Kelly Clarkson. Wrote songs. Nevertheless, frustrated by industry politics and unsure if solo success would come to him, Long almost walked away.
“At the end of the day, it’s about not quitting. It’s about not giving up. Eventually, time will show you that you are getting these things because you were ready,” Long said. “In the beginning, I deserved it. I thought that because I’m talented, people should give me things. And now, on the other hand, I work for everything.
Follow Associated Press entertainment reporter Gary Gerard Hamilton on all his social media platforms at @GaryGHamilton.
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