ALUNA Releases New Spotify-Exclusive Single 'Trouble'

Following the release of her debut solo album Renaissance and companion-collection of remixes from the album, Aluna today releases a brand-new original song "Trouble" featuring Michael Brun & Alicai Harley as the third installment of Spotify's mint Singles - a companion to its flagship Dance playlist, mint, and a spin-off of the popular Spotify Singles series.

"Trouble" is a dancehall-infused electropop jam that builds on Aluna's signature sound, blending soaring vocal harmonies with infectious beats to create an incendiary anthem just in time for this summer's dancefloors. Working with Haitian DJ Michael Brun and Jamaican-British singer Alicai Harley, the song is an extension of Aluna's collaborations with Kaytranada, Lido, SG Lewis, and more on her latest album Renaissance.

Says Aluna about the new song: "The thing I love most about collaborating is the surprise factor-it's like Christmas. The song is about when you have a connection with someone on the dance floor - even if you're not talking from some silly argument, you end up back together, locked in because your bodies just know how to live together. Alicai Harley knows all about that so it was incredible to watch her dive into the concept and then just lay down the sickest verse I've ever heard (and I recorded her on a boat in London!). The production started off pretty traditional but I wanted to pull together the euphoria of house with the sexiness of dancehall so I reached out to Micheal Brun because his ability to beautifully weave originality with straight dance floor power is what I love about him. I cried when I heard the final track, musicians' tears (the same ones come out at weddings)."

Haiti's Michael Brun worked with Aluna to help transform "Trouble" into a house-inspired dance hit, a return to Brun's roots in dance music. In 2020 into 2021, Brun expanded his influence as one of Haiti's most prominent cultural figures and musicians. He became a Grammy winner for his contributions to international superstar J. Balvin's Colores album, spearheaded the music industry's first geofenced digital live tour in three cities, lent his voice to the campaign to remove the term "World Music" from the Grammys, and released his Melanin EP, featuring Nigerian artist Kah Lo, Benin's Shirazee, and fellow Haitian singer/songwriter Naika.

Driving more than four billion streams since the program began in 2017, Spotify Singles was created to give artists an opportunity to record new versions of their own songs, the songs of the artists they love, or an original track. To date, there have been over 300 Singles recorded as part of the program.

2020 was a momentous year for Aluna, with her latest string of singles amassing nearly 40 million combined global streams and more than 10K global radio spins across 41 territories, garnering worldwide support from some of the world's most respected radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, Triple J, KCRW, KEXP, and Sirius BPM, as well as 'Envious' being playlisted on Capital's newest station Capital Dance. Spotify's New Music Friday has championed her in more than 20 countries this year, as well as placing her on the cover of their flagship dance playlist Mint and Massive Dance Hits. Nectar (Amazon Music) and New Music Daily (Apple Music), along with support from radio staples Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden continue to amplify her solo project.

In January of this year, Aluna released the 10-track collection Renaissance (Remixes) featuring club-ready re-workings of tracks from her debut solo album, Renaissance, out now via Mad Decent. Spanning multiple genres of dance and electronic music, the collection features exciting collaborations with a diverse array of predominantly POC and female producers, including Lady Bee, Austin Millz, TSHA, Bella Boo & UNIIQU3 to name a few. Also included in the remix package, Bronx, NY-based producers, remixers and DJ duo The Martinez Brothers' remix of "The Recipe," originally a collaboration with KAYTRANADA, which fuses afrobeat elements in with his trademark percussion and the mesmerizing vocals of Nigerian singer-songwriter Rema.

Earlier this winter, to commemorate World AIDS Day (December 1st), (RED) and Africa's most influential record label, Mavin Records, joined forces to raise funds to fight two pandemics: COVID-19 and AIDS. The remix of hit single "Jaiye" by Mavin Artist LADIPOE, features Aluna and Sigag Lauren, is available to stream and download worldwide, with all proceeds going to support (RED)'s efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on life-saving HIV/AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The special "Jaiye" remix is part of the Afrobeats-inspired DANCE (RED) SAVE LIVES Vol. III album, with a track listing co-curated by Aluna and Don Jazzy, which is now available on streaming services worldwide.

Last summer Aluna also penned a powerful open letter to the global dance community, demanding the community re-assess the platforms and positioning of Black creators within the dance world. "When I started looking at all the challenges I face being a black woman making dance I realized I wanted to do more than just create a space for myself - I want all black people to know that the genre of Dance is their heritage and they should feel included and encouraged to create under that banner by expanding the genre to be culturally and racially inclusive." Read the full letter HERE.

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