Mariah Carey Reveals Her True Thoughts on Muni Long’s Viral ‘We Belong Together’ Cover

Mariah Carey is not one to hold back or bite her tongue. Nor can she hide her facial expressions.

Many saw such facial expressions during the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards back in March, where she was honored with the Icon Award. During the ceremony, singer and prolific songwriter Muni Long — whose real name is Priscilla Renea Hamilton — performed a cover of Carey’s chart-topping single “We Belong Together.”

As the camera panned to Carey while Long was performing, viewers saw a shocked reaction on her face. Additionally, Long’s vocals prompted a mixed reaction online. In an interview with GQ published Wednesday, September 24, Carey revealed what was going through her mind at the time.

Apparently, Carey couldn’t hear clearly in the venue, so she thought Long was performing her own song, “Made for Me.”

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“I just didn’t know that she had done ‘We Belong Together’ [as a cover] ‘cause her song was so similar to ‘We Belong Together,’ Carey said. “I had no idea that she did ‘We Belong Together.’” When told that Long sang the song in her own register, Carey then revealed how she truly felt. “Well, I’m very honored and flattered that she did it. I love Muni Long, she’s a great person, umm, but I just don’t like people doing my songs.”

Last year, Carey contributed to a remix of “Made for Me.” She and Long previously collaborated a decade prior on the song “Infinity” — on which Long is credited as a co-writer under her old stage name, Priscilla Renea. In 2018, Long co-wrote “A No No” on Carey’s album, Caution. But in recent years, Long has taken a step back from co-writing and shifted focus toward her own solo material.

Fans can look forward to new music from Carey on Friday, Sept. 26, when she drops her 16th album Here For It All.