Mariah Carey’s devoted fanbase, known as the Lambily, expressed strong indignation this week. They flooded R&B star Muni Long’s Instagram with angry comments. The outrage followed Long’s release of a parody video featuring Carey.
The video, posted Monday, November 24, promoted Long’s new song, "Delulu." It showed a Mariah Carey impersonator auditioning for Long, 37. The impersonator mimicked Carey’s famous quirks. This included complaining about "overhead lighting" and "not getting paid enough to be here." The impersonator also stated she does "not recognize time," a direct reference to the 56-year-old "Songbird Supreme."
The parody concludes with Long stamping "Delulu" onto a photo of Carey. Long also tells the camera, "I just don’t like when other people sing my songs."
Long stated in the caption that the sketch was meant as a tribute. She wrote she was fine with people singing her songs "if this [is] who [is] singing [them]." Many fans, however, found the video "disrespectful."
Fan comments poured in, some warning, "You’re about to be Muni Long-Gone." Another user noted the timing, saying, "Mocking Mariah in MARIAH’S SEASON, good luck girl." This referred to Carey’s unofficial title as the "Queen of Christmas."
Other fans urged humility. "Career too young for this level of disrespect," one person wrote. Another critic added, "Disrespecting the legend who you’ve always praised and gave you so many opportunities. What an ugly job!" A fifth user advised, "Don’t mess with THE D-I-V-A that is M-C! You still have time to delete this!"
Muni Long quickly addressed the backlash later that Monday. She used her Instagram story to clarify her intentions to her 1.3 million followers. "Don’t be delulu. I would never disrespect Queen Mariah! Forever a Lamb," Long wrote.
Mariah Carey has not yet publicly commented on the video.
Carey and Long have mostly maintained a positive professional relationship. They collaborated on a remix of Long’s song "Made for Me" in 2024. Long also performed Carey’s 2005 hit "We Belong Together" at the iHeartRadio Music Awards earlier this year.
However, some fans perceived a subtle jab from Carey in September. During a GQ interview, Carey was asked about Long’s tribute performance, which she had seen. Carey stated, "I didn’t even hear the version. I didn’t know it happened. Nobody told me."
She then clarified, "I love Muni Long! I just didn’t know she did ‘We Belong Together’." Carey expressed being "honored and flattered" by the tribute. She then added, "I just don’t like people doing my songs." This specific quote directly inspired Long’s "Delulu" video.
Fans commenting on Long’s Monday post recalled Carey’s past remarks. One user commented, "Muni, I think Mariah got confused with the question, she adores you." Another fan hoped for a reconciliation, pleading with both artists to "fix this on the remix!"