Aluna has released the second single from her solo forthcoming debut album. The song, titled “Warrior” is a collaboration with SG Lewis, and the track is a unique fusion of dazzling production techniques paired with her enthralling vocals.
The production features colorful electro notes that twist together to add some flavor to the steady bassline and eerily calming backdrop. SG Lewis’ touch on the release is apparent, but Aluna’s vocals continue to captivate and steal the show.
Aluna, who is also one half of AlunaGeorge, has taken the opportunity to explore herself as a solo artist and a Black woman in the industry. “Warrior” is part of this journey.
She spoke about this in an official release.
“In the past when performing on the stages of my white male peers, I always felt like a visitor being one of the few Black women I could see, so it never fully occurred to me to claim dance music as my music, as an artist, even though it was at the heart of my connection to music, ” she continues. “Then I looked at the history of dance music and saw how, for example, Chicago House, known as the invention of house music, was pioneered in the Black and Latino LGTBQ+ communities which gave me inspiration to stake my flag in the ground as a Black woman in dance music by taking control of production and songwriting with my own vibe.”
If “Warrior” is any indication of what Aluna’s stake in dance music is, she and her music are forces to be reckoned with. The track is out now Mad Decent.
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Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Dancing Astronaut pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative
Committee to Protect Journalists
Featured image: Renaud Philippe