Aluna - Why So Many Artists Feel Powerless

Aluna, the acclaimed artist formerly of AlunaGeorge, delivers a raw and revelatory conversation on the systemic powerlessness many artists—especially Black women in dance music—face in the industry. She dismantles the myth of the 'level playing field,' revealing how contracts signed in ignorance, exploitative splits, and the erasure of identity in collaborative work have left her and countless others financially and emotionally drained. What begins as a personal journey through the trauma of being undervalued evolves into a broader indictment of an industry built on transactional relationships, where authenticity is commodified and artists are infantilized by label executives. Aluna argues that the real power shift isn’t in the artist’s ability to control their narrative, but in their willingness to challenge the very systems that profit from their silence. Her radical act of self-advocacy—refusing features, demanding equitable splits, and publicly exposing her own 'criminal' contract—becomes a blueprint for a new kind of artistic sovereignty rooted in truth, not compromise. Ultimately, she reframes the artist’s role not as a product, but as a storyteller whose purpose is to help humanity evolve through shared human experience, especially in an age where AI threatens to dilute that soul. The episode is a masterclass in intersectional power dynamics, exposing how internalized racism, colorblindness, and the myth of meritocracy have shaped her career.