Inside Muni Long’s Goddess-Inspired Coachella Debut

For her first-ever Coachella set, R&B queen Muni Long channeled some divine inspiration. No, really. When she hit the stage in Indio, California, this past weekend, she looked like a Grecian goddess, draped in a gold cloth with matching laurels on her head. She was joined by dancers in gladiator sandals and backup singers who could have easily been mistaken for muses, making a successful debut at the festival.

But Long was influenced by goddesses of pop music as well, channeling Britney Spears and Diana Ross in her second look of the performance. While delivering smooth runs and sultry vocals, she did a showgirl-like outfit change, revealing a sheer bodysuit with a glittery pink two-piece set. It was a custom design she created with Sergio Hudson and Rio Warner. And to complete the look, she had her makeup done by Kevin Luong and hair styled in long waves by Allen “Tater” Pazon.

Long, who just took home the Grammy for Best R&B Performance earlier this year, treated the audience to an array of hits including “Slow Grind,” “Hrs and Hrs,” and of course, “Made for Me.” She even brought out Leon Thomas for a performance of his track “Mutt,” which got some extra love following his viral Tiny Desk performance this year.

Here, Long takes ELLE.com behind the scenes of her major career milestone. This might be her first Coachella, but we sure hope it isn’t her last.