Album Review: ReVenge by Muni Long
On Muni Long’s second album, the best revenge is success and living her best life. The album is about her journey, growth, and healing, serving as a therapeutic outlet for her thoughts and feelings.
Muni Long’s long road to her album ReVenge has been a strategic growth and artistic evolution. Starting from her EPs in 2021, Long has steadily built her presence in the music industry despite her career being a prolific songwriter as Priscilla Renea. Her 2021 releases set the stage, showcasing her talent in crafting songs that resonate with themes of love, empowerment, and personal stories. By 2023, with the release of “Made for Me,” Long hit the jackpot. This track captured the hearts of longtime R&B fans and marked her transition from a rising artist to mainstream success as it harkens back to the 2000s heyday, with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox on the production. “Made for Me” climbed the charts, achieving platinum status, indicating her rising popularity and acceptance in the R&B genre. A remix featuring Mariah Carey amplified the song's success, further cementing Long’s status.
As 2024 approached, Muni Long prepared for the release of ReVenge. This album was teased with singles featuring “Ruined Me,” a heartwarming ballad that showcases Long's emotional depth and has been well-received by fans, and “Make Me Forget,” a confession of heartbreak with emotional delivery (and the album’s closing track), each adding layers to her narrative of success as the best form of revenge. These singles continued to build on the themes of durability and personal triumph, which evidently resonated with her audience, given their warm reception. Her second album includes a variety of relationship songs, including one about her best friend and another about her relationship with cars. The album is described as a “big diary entry,” reflecting Long’s life and growth over the past 17 years.
With the title track, Long sings about an emotional aftermath following a relationship’s end. Once you listen to the album front to back, you can follow along with its theme as she articulates a complex stance, rejecting vindictive impulses while grappling with lingering pain (“Not lookin’ for revenge/Specially on someone I once considered a friend”). In the latter half of the album, “Waste No Time,” she reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of cherishing meaningful moments with loved ones. “Days go by; time it’ll fly/Before you know it, that’s life,” she sings as this sentiment sets the stage for Long’s plea to her partner to prioritize their connection and create lasting memories together.
In “Superpowers,” Muni Long ponders the mysterious yet powerful connection she shares with her lover, recognizing that their bond transcends her usual abilities to influence others. The song’s central metaphor likens her charms and persuasive skills to “superpowers,” yet she finds them ineffective in this relationship. Long reflects on the serendipitous nature of their meeting, believing that “synchronicity” and a sense of destined compatibility have brought them together. She acknowledges the strength required to sustain such a profound love, questioning why her “superpowers” seem to falter in the face of this emotional intensity.
“30s” is a relatable topic that offers a nuanced perspective on modern dating anxieties and the pressure to find a life partner before a certain age. Long’s writing skillfully juxtaposes idealistic notions of love with harsh realities, as she says, “Fairytales don’t exist/Well that’s what people try to tell me/I just don’t believe there’s nobody for me.” Muni Long asserts her self-worth and reclaims her power after experiencing betrayal and disrespect in a relationship on “The Baddest.” The song opens with Long lamenting the challenges of finding genuine love when one is both attractive and wealthy, as she states, “Love is harder when you’re rich and you’re a dime.”
The next three-song stretch after the “Reverse (Interlude)” prevents the album from being one of the true standouts in R&B. “Bessie” guarantees a trunk-slapper, and that’s about it because it adds nothing value to the record, “Played Yourself” is another copy-and-paste R&B-inspired NY drill with another forgettable rap verse, and “Leave My Baby Tonight” featuring GloRilla, who’s having one hell of a year, sounds out of place and her singing was rough. Things pick up the pace following the smooth and laid-back “Things I Never Said” and “Type Questions,” as you listen through, it feels familiar that she sings the same verse as her viral Sway In the Morning freestyle over 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.”
With her second LP, Muni Long promises to be a well-detailed project of relationships, healing, and success. Long’s bold declaration that this album will be the “best R&B album in the next five to 10 years” has sparked conversation and anticipation, underscoring her confidence and ambition. As she continues to make waves in the music industry, and the album may be flawed in spots, ReVenge is poised to cement Muni Long’s status as a leading figure in contemporary R&B.
Solid (★★★½☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Superpowers,” “30s,” “Things I Never Said”