Muni Long is finally having her moment in the spotlight thanks to her breakthrough smash ‘Hrs and Hrs’, which is scaling the charts over in the US.
The Florida born singer-songwriter may be a relatively new name over here in the UK but the chances are you’ve heard plenty of her songs without even realising it. Under her real name Priscilla Renea, she’s responsible for plenty of hits including Rihanna’s ‘California King Bed’, Pitbull and Kesha’s ‘Timber’, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood’s “Somethin’ Bad”, Mariah Carey’s ‘Infinity’ and Fifth Harmony’s ‘Worth It’.
Her 2009 debut ‘Jukebox’ garnered her some serious attention and in 2018 she unleashed second album ‘Coloured’, a fusion of R&B, Country and Soul. A series of EPs followed as Renea rebranded herself as Muni Long, and after years of hard work, she finally scored a monster hit with ‘Hrs and Hrs’, taken from her recently released album ‘Public Displays of Affection: The Album’ (the song first appeared on the 2021 EP ‘Public Displays of Affection’).
So why did ‘Hrs and Hrs’ breakthrough in the way it did? Written solely by Renea and produced by Dylan Graham and Ralph Tiller, ‘Hrs and Hrs’ is a throwback to a time when R&B music was sensual, catchy and featured a strong vocal. As Long moves through a series of impressive vocal riffs, her voice switching from low and seductive, to airy and spine-tingling, she sings about falling deeply in love and basking in the glow of being close to a lover. The song is a masterclass in R&B and it’s a timely reminder than the genre has needed an injection of real talent for some time.
‘Public Displays of Affection: The Album’, released earlier this month and heading to vinyl on 14th October, is a combination of the EPs ‘Public Displays of Affection’ and ‘Public Displays of Affection Too’, along with new tracks that fans haven’t heard before. The 18-track set doesn’t put a foot wrong, as Long expertly navigates contemporary R&B with plenty of throwbacks to 90s when Brandy, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey dominated the airwaves.
From the heartbreakingly honest ‘Plot Twist’, where Long discovers her lover is living a double life with a secret family, through to the joyous uptempo ‘Baby Boo’ featuring Saweetie, the album is captivating and engaging. While the beats and melodies play a key part in the record’s appeal, it’s Long’s voice that’s really the star. The emotion in her voice on the regretful ‘Time Machine’ will give you goosebumps while on ‘To Do List’, Long hits impressive heights with her upper range (it’s no surprise she’s been enlisted to write several songs for Ariana Grande over the years).
Her songwriting is superb too. Long captures a number of relationship situations that fans will be able to listen to. Her lyrics are honest and upfront, without being abrasive. She’s as comfortable taking a man to task for his behaviour as she is singing his praises, and she’s got a real knack for a hook that you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Long also has a few high profile collaborations out there too. She’s featured on the John Legend song ‘Honey’ and she’s teamed up with Craig David for the track ‘Obvious’ on his new record ’22’.
In short, she’s the real deal on every front and she’s got star power for days. I can’t remember the last time I got this excited about an R&B singer!
To help you get acquainted with Muni, here are my five favourite songs from ‘Public Displays of Affection: The Album’ for you to check out:
