Before a song can be recorded or performed live, it must first be imagined and formulated out of the creative ether. Sometimes they do that themselves, but sometimes they record and perform the music created by a songwriter. There are thousands of professional songwriters who make their living by writing music for other artists, and Muni Long (pronounced “Money” Long) used to be one of them. When she went by her birth first and middle name, Priscilla Renea, she wrote pop songs for some of the biggest stars in the world, including Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Rihanna. For the latter, Renea wrote the double platinum single, “California King Bed.” “What that did for the trajectory of my career as a creative was massive,” Renea said to Complex in March of this year. Now as Muni Long, she’s a Grammy-winner and a platinum recording artist. Instead of giving her songs to other people, she’s singing them herself...

Check out this month's In Tune cover story to learn more.