Before Grammy-winning artist Priscilla Renea Hamilton — known as Muni Long — was nominated for one MTV Video Music Awards for Best R&B Song, she was a hit songwriter who penned songs for major artists like Rihanna and Mariah Carey.
Reflecting on her songwriting roots, she said there was a time when she felt content writing for others, but eventually realized she wanted more.
“There’s a story they tell you as a songwriter, if you want to be an artist, you know, you write these songs, you get a number one. You make all this money, songwriting is where the money is. I bought into that for a really long time until I realized I was doing all the things you said, and it’s not getting me where I want to go, so I’m going to stop, I’m going to focus on me,” she said.
Now she is enjoying the success of her hit single “Time Machine”, which has gained huge popularity on social media and radio stations.
“This moment is surreal,” she said. “I’m scrolling through Instagram and TikTok and all these places, and I see it, I hear it, and I wonder, is this just my algorithm, or is it really that big?”
Despite her success, she admitted that her journey has not been easy and has included personal challenges, such as a recent separation from her husband of nine years.
There were also times she considered walking away from the music business but decided against it.
“I always knew I wanted to do something on stage, in the performance art space, and so I’m glad I didn’t give up,” she said.
Excitement for the VMAs
As Long prepared for the VMAs, she expressed excitement about wearing a custom Savage X Fenty look.
“It’s the first time they’ve ever dressed someone other than Rihanna for a carpet,” she said with a smile. “It’s a really pretty aubergine color. Super excited.”
The 2023 Video Music Awards will air live Wednesday at 8:00 PM EDT on MTV and other Paramount-owned networks, including CBS.