Three years ago, Muni Long became one of the several artists that gained notoriety in a matter of days after her hit song “Hrs & Hrs” went viral on Tik Tok. Since then, more people who didn’t know her before when she was Priscilla Renea, are discovering how long her penmanship and voice has been blessing the world with hits.
Let’s take a look at what some of those hits were.
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1. “Wet the Bed” – Chris Brown
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, she shared with her Tik Tok audience that she lent her vocals to Chris Brown’s sensual single “Wet the Bed.” While braiding her hair she said some fans with a good ear have been asking her “at least once a month” if she is the woman singing the background vocals on the 2011 song.
Confirming it was her, she said she got an invite to the studio by Jean Baptiste who also worked on Brown’s “Look At Me Now” song. At the time, Brown was recording for “Wet the Bed” and said, “I want somebody to go in there and singing and moan at the end of the track.
Long continued, “it was a bunch of ladies there but nobody raised their hand so I looked around like this is my shot. This is my chance.” The “Time Machine” singer admitted that it was “very embarrassing” to sing in that way but it was rewarding because “they loved it.”
The song peaked at the #6 spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
2. “Don’t Wake Me Up” – Chris Brown
Unsurprisingly, that was not the only time that Long went on to work with the Grammy award winning artist.
She also collaborated with him in his electronic 2012 song “Don’t Wake Me Up.” She not only helped with writing lyrics for the song but she was also featured on the intro. Before Brown comes on, Long can be heard saying, “Dearly beloved, if this love only exists in my dreams, don’t wake me up.”
By 2017, the single was certified 2x platinum.
3. “California King Bed” – Rihanna
Another artist Long worked with more than once was the Fenty boss herself, Rihanna. She wrote on the mother-of-two’s hit emotional ballad “California King Bed” and completed the song in 10 minutes.
Earlier this year in March, Long told Complex that the song was born during a hectic time when she was preparing to move to L.A. After listening to the chords and coming up with the title, she got to writing. She said, “I was like, ‘Turn it up, let me get this done real quick,’ so I could go back to looking for my furniture.”
Long also revealed another shocking detail. She said that the single was originally pitched to Kelly Clarkson before making its way to Rihanna.
But it ended up in the right singer’s hands. Long said, “What that did for the trajectory of my career as a creative was massive. After that, I did work with her in the studio many times, but that was my first entry point into my journey with Rih.”
4. “Watch N’ Learn” – Rihanna
In fact, it wasn’t long before they worked together again. Long was a writer on a track for Rihanna’s album, Talk That Talk, that next year. The single “Watch N’ Learn” sharply contrasted “California King Bed” in sound as it featured an upbeat tempo and exuded lyrical sex appeal.
During a 2018 appearance on The Terrell Show, Long shared that the x-rated nature of the song had Rihanna dialing her phone.
“She had called me when she was getting ready to cut it,” she said. According to Long, Rihanna asked, “What you saying on that part” and once she explained the Barbados singer responded “Mmm you nasty.”
5. “Worth It” – Fifth Harmony
Long has not only written for individuals but she’s also been a part of making a hit for the girl group Fifth Harmony.
The lyrics in “Worth It” made for an empowering anthem for the five-person girl group, pushing their song forward into the hearts of fans. The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ended up being one of the group’s biggest singles.
The group’s member Lauren Jauregui talked about it’s success to Billboard in 2015. She said, “This is definitely our biggest single to date for sure, and so just to see it continue to climb and see it on the charts with Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift, or whoever’s big right now, it’s right next to them and right there with them. t’s frickin’ platinum! To say it’s platinum, that a million people bought that song, it’s amazing. It’s so incredible to see that the support has gone beyond our fan base.”
6. “Don’t Mind” – Mary J. Blige
Fans of Muni Long already know the songwriter is talented when it comes to writing a hit about love. So it’s no surprise that she was a part of Mary J. Blige’s song “Don’t Mind.” With the help of Long’s penmanship, Blige created a smash single where she shamelessly expressed her love for her partner. The video has over 29 million views.
7. “Timber” – Pitbull and Ke$sha
Country is a genre that Long has explored as well. She worked with Cuban artist Pitbull and pop singer Ke$ha on their dance-pop fused with country song “Timber” that was released in 2013. The song speak to enjoying the thrill of the night.
It became a huge hit and spent three weeks at the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
8. “V.S.O.P” – K. Michelle
K. Michelle came out with her sexy bop V.S.O.P in 2013. The song was a smash to many of Michelle’s fans. But as it turns out, it was a hit that Long not only wrote on but a song she wanted to keep for herself. Unfortunately the song was taken from her and given to Michelle, which she spoke on during an interview with The Neighborhood Talk in 2022.
“It sucks…I’m trying to do my thing. Write your own songs,” she said. “Everything that has happened to me got me to this place. In the future I just decided that I’m gonna play anything for anybody that I don’t want to be passed around. The song went number one with her on the R&B charts. So it’s a win for everybody.”
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