Aluna Francis broke onto the scene in 2012 as one half of AlunaGeorge, the London duo whose sleek mix of electronic pop, R&B, UK garage and house music helped define the decade’s dance-pop sound and turn “You Know You Like It” into a hit.
But by 2020, the British singer, songwriter, producer and DJ was ready to step out on her own. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she used AlunaGeorge’s hiatus to launch a solo career.
“There were certain things, purely from a selfish perspective, that I wasn’t able to express as part of a duo,” she told NME in a 2020 interview.
With her solo debut, “Renaissance,” Aluna set out to carve out space for herself as a Black woman in dance music while spotlighting the genre’s Black roots and influences.
She expanded on that vision with her 2023 follow-up, “MYCELiUM,” blending bass-heavy grooves, sharp pop hooks and airy vocals into a sound that is both reflective and dancefloor-ready. The result is club music with both shimmer and purpose that is sensual, propulsive and self-possessed.
Bay Area fans can hear that evolution when the artist, who performs under the mononym Aluna, plays a late-night, ages 21 and older set at 1015 Folsom on Friday, June 19.