AlunaGeorge

In the two years since pop alchemists AlunaGeorge – aka singer and lyricist Aluna Francis and producer George Reid – released their critically lauded debut album, Body Music, they’ve barely stopped. From world tours to festivals to Katy Perry support slots to collaborations (2015’s frenetic “To Ü” with Skrillex & Diplo) to chart-slaying remixes (DJ Snake’s version of “You Know You Like It”, i.e. one of the most streamed songs of all time), their world has expanded immeasurably from the tiny London studio they started working in back in 2010. Somehow, in amongst the madness, they’ve managed to find the time to write and record a follow-up album that confidently maintains their unique sonic palette – a soulful, pop-leaning take on downtempo dance and experimental R&B – but also takes it forward into bolder territories. Lead by the dancehall-tinged, ludicrously catchy banger “I’m In Control”, featuring Jamaican rapper Popcaan, it’s an album that channels their experiences into a delicious melange of pop styles. “We were going for that holy grail of songwriting,” explains Aluna of the record. “It was an attitude of ‘let’s see what else we can do’,” adds George.

AlunaGeorge – I’m In Control ft. Popcaan

Formed after George remixed a song by Aluna’s first band, My Toy’s Like Me, there’s always been a strange sense of happenstance and spontaneity about AlunaGeorge and their music. A handful of the songs that appeared on Body Music were written and recorded after the pair had only known each other for a month, this sense of sudden excitement and naivety filtering through into the songs themselves. Working together every day in a small studio in Ravenscourt Park in London – where they still write and record now – helped quickly fuse the duo together, which in turn resulted in that rare thing; a cohesive, fully-formed debut album that came with its own unique sonic world. From the singles “Your Drums, Your Love”, “Attracting Flies” (the latter a UK top 20 hit) and their massive collaboration with Disclosure on “White Noise”, to the softer, more tactile album tracks, Body Music not only announced the arrival of a new take on pop music at the time – one that wasn’t exactly dance, but that you wanted to dance to nevertheless – but also helped confirm their trust in their own instincts. “I’m really glad we did things the way we did for that album.