AlunaGeorge

£13.75

Do you remember a time, not so long ago, when pop music felt strange? Alliances of visionary producers and charismatic singers spawned a series of songs that were as radical as they were catchy: hits like Destiny's Child's Say My Name, Aaliyah's Try Again and Tweet's Oops (Oh My). It was great, wasn't it? AlunaGeorge thought so too. Now, when the Top 40 has never been more homogenous, they want to shake things up again. "I guess we're always looking for the exception to the rule. You just have to hope people get bored and want something else," says Aluna

AlunaGeorge are Aluna Francis and George Reid. "Aluna" means "come here" in the Mwera dialect of Tanzania, "pupil" in Portugese and "Mother Earth" in Mayan. "George" means George. Aluna writes and sings the melodies and lyrics. George arranges the music into uncanny and seductive new shapes. They met in 2009. They live in London. They have released two fresh, irresistible singles, You Know You Like It and Your Drums, Your Love, and they have only just begun.

AlunaGeorge are entering 2013 with fans in all the right places. They are among the final three contenders for the Brits Critics' Choice Award and on the longlist for the BBC's influential Sound of 2013 poll. Pitchfork, which has championed them from the start, booked them to play at its Paris festival in November. In the fashion world, Moschino asked the duo to perform at their London Fashion Week show and Storm Models has signed Aluna — confirmation of her idiosyncratic star quality.