Aluna Shares New Single ‘Oh the Glamour,’ Announces Album ‘MYCELiUM’

By Larisha Paul

Aluna is feeling glamorous, and she has every reason to. On July 7, the musician who makes up one-half of the electronic duo AlunaGeorge will release her second studio album MYCELiUM. It arrives nearly three years after her solo debut Renaissance — it was, at least in its title, ahead of its time. Aluna has released a scattered collection of singles over the past year, but for the announcement of her album, she assembled a dream team of collaborators to help preview the record on "Oh the Glamour."

The single finds Aluna joined by MNEK, Pabllo Vittar, and producer Eden Prince. "What is the allure of glamour? To me it holds most of its power in the aspirations of those living a life of struggle," she explained in a statement. "Glamour can uplift the worst of days and the darkest of hearts, make tears beautiful and pain graceful. My mother always worried about my expensive taste, but for me it was the taste of survival….for who can live this miserable life without a touch of glamour?"

"Oh the Glamour" contends with a different type of luxury, too. Its lyrics center around imagining what it would be like to have the pleasure of not knowing anything besides a normal in which no threat exists to their identity. Money can buy many things, but not that.

"Black and LGBTQ+ people go through a lot of shit, but we often present ourselves as glamorous." Aluna continued in her statement. "Being glamorous is an aspiration that drags you out of bed. Aiming for normal and average is a way to send yourself into the shackles of society. Glamour can often be a method to break free, celebrate, and thrive."

Community, like the one Aluna created in under three and a half minutes on "Oh the Glamour," rests at the center of MYCELiUM. Its 14-song tracklist features appearances from Route94, TSHA, The Picard Brothers & Kaleena Zanders, Tchami & Kareen Lomax, Jayda G, Preditah & Lauren Faith, Chris Lake, MK, Walker & Royce, and Kooldrink.

"The Mycelium is the cell network seeped into the fabric of nature. I’m not talking about the bloom or the fruits. You need to lay the groundwork to see the fruit one day," Aluna explained. "I got burnt out from trying to work with powerful people who have lots of money and no actual genuine care for what I’m trying to do. I realized there was no foundation where I was standing, and we have to build our own foundation."

She added: "It's not going to be all bells and whistles; it's going to be substance. So, I broke some barriers and started mentoring creative fans. I built a community of Black Ravers on Geneva and by joining groups on Instagram and social media. Now, the album is my community I’ve created."

Aluna tour dates:

June 17 – Anchorage, AL @ Sundown Solstice Festival *June 25 – Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest Festival *June 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage **June 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Mirage **July 2 – San Diego, CA @ Blackbook in the Park *July 7 – Calgary, AB @ Calgary Stampede Festival *Aug. 5 – San Diego, CA @ Bleached Festival *Aug. 6 – Seattle, WA @ Higher Ground Festival *Aug. 11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Das Energi Festival *Sept. 1 – Chicago, IL @ North Coast Festival *Sept. 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Phoenix Hotel ***Sept. 8 – Denver, CO @ The Church ***Sept. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda ***Sept. 10 – Sacramento, CA @ 916 Block Party *Sept. 23 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ****Sept. 24 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ****Oct. 6 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground ***Oct. 7 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick ***Oct. 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Warehouse on Watts ***Oct. 14 – Washington, DC @ Culture ***Nov. 11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere ***

*Festival Dates**Supporting Galantis***Headline Show****Supporting Louis the Child