Since becoming one half of AlunaGeorge in 2012, Aluna’s infectious vocals have graced chart toppers such as the Disclosure hit ‘White Noise’, and the intoxicating jam ‘Attracting Flies’. Following 2016’s poppy sophomore effort, ‘I Remember’, the electric duo put out a six-track EP called Champagne Eyes, which had a markedly low-key R&B vibe. Since then, collaborations with Robyn producer extraordinaire Kleerup and New Zealand sound-shaker Kito have blessed our eardrums. But now, solo, and free of George (Reid), Aluna (Francis) has fully come into her own and claimed an extremely deserved spot as one of the UK’s most exciting dance artists. Renaissance couldn’t be more of an aptly-titled record, as Aluna has taken dancehall, 2000s house and re-fashioned it into a strikingly impressive debut that speaks to the current moment.
The affecting opener, ‘I’ve Been Starting To Love All The Things I Hate’, sees Aluna proudly owning mistakes she’s made, and persisting through all the shit life throws her way. Its lyrical honesty is a welcome and refreshing insight into an artist who for so long has had to hide her true self to cater to a racially homogeneous legion of dance fanboys.
Standout track, ‘The Recipe’, has Montreal man of the minute KAYTRANADA to thank for its effortless groove. Amidst Aluna’s surrendering vocals, the track includes a terrific verse by the Nigerian singer (and Obama playlisted) Rema. Another highlight, ‘Ain’t My Business’, has a frenetic and ferocious energy to it that screams London, Aluna’s city of birth. Put bluntly, it’s a show-stopping banger that seamlessly keeps the party atmosphere going full blast after the delectably rapacious ‘Body Pump’.
Dua Lipa producer SG Lewis is on the decks for ‘Warrior’, which is a shuddering synth stormer of a single. ‘Get Paid’, featuring a jaw-dropping lineup of Princess Nokia and Jada Kingdom, is a feel-good dancehall summer jam with a simple hook and lyrics that encapsulate a very resonant mood: “make money/I spend it/ want more”.
‘Off Guard’ is the only dud on the album: not catchy, nor groovy – it’s just there. The album comes back to life with ‘Back Up’ and ‘Pressure’, which both take the sound to a late night/early morning, slow whine state of affairs. It’s with these tracks that it becomes abundantly clear that Aluna is a solo artist for the long haul.
In an Instagram post at the height of the George Floyd protests in the summer, Aluna slammed the dance music industry on the erasure of its roots by white artists. Stating that dance music needs to be “progressive and move us into the future”, she added “the role of dance is to give healing, to uplift us, and to serve as a celebration of those who are on the front line making a better future for us all.” With the vibrancy and versatility of the selection of tracks on offer here, it’s clear that Aluna has succeeded in her strives to achieve that. Aluna is truly here.
8/10
Words by Marco Marcelline
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