Muni Long says she only has 'further up to go' after being named Billboard's Music Rising Star

Muni Long is getting ready to accept the Music Rising Star award at Billboard's Women in Music Awards, which she sees as proof that she's officially transitioned from a songwriter to an artist.

"There are things that you can't viral your way, relationship your way or accolade your way into," she tells Billboard. "This award signifies to me that I've reached a place in my transition as an artist from trying and aspiring to now I am doing, I am becoming. And I only have further up to go."

Muni started her music career as Priscilla Renea, but failed to garner the success she desired. After the release of her sophomore album, Coloured, she worked on a rebrand: she tried the moniker "Melrose" before playing around with the word "money" until she came up with Muni Long.

"When I heard the 2 Chainz lyric 'hair long, money long' [from 2012's 'I'm Different'], I was like, 'Whoa. That's it,'" Muni recalled.

Her transition, she explains, came after years of bad experiences with ghostwriting.

“I started writing songs to make money because I bought into the [idea of], ‘Well, if you write enough hits, then you can be an artist,’” Muni says. “I gave it my all ... I did so much free work, got stolen from and taken advantage of so many times, so many bad deals. I’d also been the only Black person in the room writing all these pop songs for years. So I quit to focus on me ... keeping these songs for myself.”

Muni's currently working on her upcoming project, led by the recent single "Slow Grind." “It’s all songs to make love to," the singer teased. "I’m a lover girl."

The Women in Music Awards will take place Friday.