Muni Long believes R&B thrives when artists embrace vulnerability and push sonic boundaries. On Tuesday, February 18, the Time Machine singer joined Kehlani, H.E.R., and Victoria Monét—along with other vocal powerhouses—to discuss the genre’s evolving golden era.
Speaking with The New York Times Style Magazine, Muni Long reflected on how R&B honors its past while shaping its future. “Let’s make some wedding songs. Some party songs would be fun—things they’d play in the club,” she said.
Her Grammy-winning hit Hrs & Hrs perfectly illustrates that vision. She recalled hearing it alongside hip-hop tracks from Sexyy Red and XXL Freshman pick BossMan Dlow.
“Everybody, including the men—thugged out, chains, gold teeth, all that. Everyone was singing my song,” she shared.
R&B remains deeply tied to Black culture, yet it often gets boxed in. When artists experiment, their work is either pushed into “alternative” and “pop” or unexpectedly categorized as R&B, as if the genre cannot evolve. Long challenged that notion. “R&B is pop music,” Muni Long stated. “They took the sounds, they took the swag, and they made it mainstream.”
Her latest album, Revenge, landed on Rap-Up’s Best R&B Albums of 2024 list. The 14-track project showcased her versatility. She traded bars with GloRilla on Leave My Baby Tonight, championed self-worth on The Baddest, and even rapped on the high-energy Bessie.
With fresh talent emerging, 2025 promises to be another dynamic year for R&B. Jordan Adetunji gained traction with KEHLANI, 4Batz introduced his enigmatic persona, and a wave of new voices left their mark. If the momentum continues, R&B’s resurgence is far from over.
Leave a Reply