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Aluna Francis is a woman about her business.
13 on theBillboardHot 100 in 2015.
As part of the albums rollout, Francisshared an open letteron Instagram challenging her community to be actively inclusive.
Many of us know that dance music wasnt invented in 1988 in Europe.
Its real history is still to be widespread and appreciated since it was virtually erased, she wrote.
I know its going to take extra time, but its important.
All other music that people dance to is not considered dance.
This record is dancehall, Afrobeats, house, garage, and funk.
My team was like, Well, whats the genre?
I thought,Here we go again!
Originally, when Black people invented dance music, it wasnt closed off with this boundary.
So that ended up being my quest: I didnt want to be the exception to the rule.
And within two days, I was the only Black woman speaking for Black women.
Privilege combined with great enthusiasm and well-meaningness creates this huge energy propulsion.
Its sort of like a water hose spraying in all different directions.
Hold on a minute, just spray it on the flowers!
When youre at the beginning of a fight, the odds are that you wont win.
Unfortunately, that is something you have to do if youre a Black woman speaking out.
Have you heard Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions WAP?
Being allowed to justbeis not the current status for us.
People would be like, Oh, why dont you dance?
Well, Im not your dancing monkey.
Its not because you expect Black women to be fabulous and dancing all the time.
The voices of Black women are usually muddled, and Me Too was and continues to be no exception.
I was scared that my career will end and people will try and find out who it is.
Or if they ever found out, they would vilify me.
Or Im scared people will make me describe what happened and then tell me that it was my fault.
It was just layers of fear.
Thats absolutely fine, but you must do it consciously because of the emotional backlash youre going to have.
People will come for you.
If you want a nuanced conversation, you have to choose somebody who works within that medium of journalism.
So I chose that lane.
Its now been a year.
So in that way, its been really fruitful for me.
I dont think it would have started unless I spoke about it publicly.
Its liberating to listen to.Thats amazing.
You just gave me goosebumps!
But I kept two things at the back of my mind.
So I let those things guide me.
When did you realize you wanted to create music outside of AlunaGeorge?Who knows?
Lets say that were going to do it and then work it out later.
What were you scared of?I was so used to working with George [since 2009].
You could give us one week and wed do ten songs.
Any genre well just knock them out.
It feels like a soul-searching moment.
Whats the story there?Ive never talked a lot about this it makes me feel very ashamed.
Almost just like I might as well not bother anymore.
As a teenager, all I wanted was to be an alternative kid and for that to be okay.
But because I was Black, I wasnt allowed into any of the lanes.
I wish I knew what that felt like.
I had to create the idea that I am allowed to be here.
Thats where so much of my creativity comes from.
I really needed to appreciate the fact that Ive learned all these lessons.
Ive actually had advantagesinmy disadvantages.
There are so many songs on here that make you want to dance and sweat.
But, of course, were in a pandemic.
Are you frustrated by that?No.
The music could just carry me to another universe.
I want Black artists to be on the lineups of some of the biggest dance festivals in the world.
I dont want to live in a world where its just Afropunk available to Black people.
That freeing space should be created in every environment that is designated for dancing.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
