- Muni Long is best known as a singer/songwriter.
- She is known for releasing her debut album Jukebox in 2009 and co-writing songs with big artists like Rihanna, Pitbull, and Kesha.
- Muni has been nominated for three 2023 Grammy Awards.
Muni Long, 34, has been on the music scene for a minute — but you might not recognize the name. That’s about to change since the singer/songwriter, who often shares gorgeous photos of herself on Instagram, has been nominated for three 2023 Grammy Awards, which will air on Feb. 4. The talented artists is in the running for Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song for “Hrs and Hrs.” Keep reading to find out all about Muni Long (pronounced “money long”) below.
Muni Long is a Florida native.
Muni was born Priscilla Renea Hairston in Vero Beach, Florida in 1988. In her teens, she began recording her singing sessions and posting the videos to YouTube, with an early entry being her take on Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River,” according to MTV. After her YouTube channel hit 30,000 followers, she was able to compete on the channel’s Say What? Karaoke show.
She recorded her first album at age 21 under a different name.
After being signed to Capital Records at the age of 21, Muni released her debut album Jukebox in 2009. Despite a mildly successful run of its lead single “Dollhouse” and critical acclaim, the album failed to chart.
Muni wrote songs for Rihanna and Ariana Grande.
After her own solo career stalled, Muni began sharpeming her songwriting skills for other artists. She eventually landed in the recording studio with Rihanna (“California King Bed,” “Watch n’ Learn”), Ariana Grande (“Imagine,” “Fake Smile”), and Mariah Carey (“Infinity,” “A No No”). She also helped write “Worth It” for Fifth Harmony and “Timber” for Pitbull.
She released a single with John Legend
On June 17, 2022, John Legend released his latest single “Honey” featuring Muni Long. The R&B song is the first project the pair have worked on together as recording artists, as they have collaborated behind the scenes on several tracks previously. The song is the second single from Legend’s upcoming eighth studio album, following the song “Dope.”
Muni tried using another name before hitting it big.
“I was just trying things for a second, and none of it was working,” Muni told Rolling Stone about venturing out into different genres. “I had changed my name to Melrose. In 2018, I put out this country record — let me switch genres, let me see if that helps.” Although the album was another bomb, she was ready to try country music again, but came to her senses. “Somewhere in that process, it wasn’t clicking.”
Eventually, Muni started her own label, Supergiant Records. and finally struck gold as a singer with her self-released “Hrs and Hrs,” a single released in January that hit Number Two on Apple Music’s daily chart.