You know what’s easier than following around your fave pop stars, day in, day out, to see what they’re up to right that minute? Asking them. Here’s what Aluna‘s day looks like.
7:00 am
I wake up, and I make a cup of English Breakfast tea with half a teaspoon of brown sugar and milk – and a bottle for my baby. I can’t use alternative milk in my tea; I just love the taste of whole milk in mine.
I basically just play with my baby in the morning, then we have breakfast and get her ready until about 8.30am.
8.30 am
Amaya goes to daycare at this time, and then I get myself washed – I do a five-minute skin routine with a few creams, I do the jade roller and put the serum on. I feel like my face gets puffy in the morning, so I feel like it’s nice to move my face around with a cool roller. Also, the one thing I have tried that works is using a cool tea bag under my eyes; the caffeine goes into your under eyes – it’s crazy! You do need to keep those in the fridge for an immediate effect.
I would usually check in with my assistant to hear what things I have planned for the day. I’d also maybe do an interview or two.
9:00 am
After this, I’d be filming content, taking pictures and maybe doing a few make-up tutorials for online content until about 1pm.
I’d then make some lunch and start getting ready to go to the studio. To prepare for the studio, I’d always try to get through half a gallon of water a day.
1:00 pm
At 1pm, I go to the gym and then leave at about 2pm to go to the studio. I’ve developed my own personal routine; I combine quite a lot of different things all into one. So, I use the treadmill on quite a strong incline, but I go at a normal walking pace, so I can do a mile in half an hour. But, I put a resistance band around the machine so that I can do my upper body while I’m doing it. And then, at the same time, I’d be studying crypto and Forex!
I started investing in crypto during the pandemic, and because I couldn’t stop messing with it, I came across a trading group that was run by Black women, and I just thought that was really appealing, so I felt like, ‘Well, I should learn about it if I’m going to keep messing around with it’. I find it really fun to learn about it and the fact that I thought that only white, middle-class/upper-class men only had access to it because they were a mathematician or something and not someone like me. So, I find it really fun to work on it and kind of crack the code around it.
You can definitely do the learning yourself, but I find that because I’m part of a community, API (All Pips In), the learning goes a lot faster. Plus you have other people to speak to when you fall back on certain things. But if you’re someone who is addicted to gambling, stay away.
2:00 pm
At this time, I start making my way to the studio. My everyday studio is pretty local to me in Downtown LA, Hard Pink. I use the scooter to get there! It usually takes me about 5 mins or so.
I’d usually be in the studio each time, till about 8-10pm. If I’m finishing off a song or I’m working on the very last process of the song, I can get that done by 8pm, but if I’m working on a song from scratch, I’ll be there till about 10pm.
I tend to eat at the studio, so I’d get a Postmates dinner; something healthy, rice-based with vegetables and protein – but this would be at a very specific time. I think it’s really interesting, the science of the chemicals that your body produces when you get hungry – your body produces this motivational chemical which sparks you to go and get some food. So, I use that in the songwriting process – I don’t like to eat at the beginning of the songwriting process because I’m not going to get that chemical. Lunch and dinner happen after the first verse and chorus – then you can eat.
10:00 pm
I like to get home by 10.15pm so I can start getting ready for bed. I just watch some TV! I’m really liking the show Vikings at the moment; it’s like a History Channel type thing. I’m also watching Glow Up on Netflix. For my creative inspiration, I watch Legendary or Pose… But I also love watching the Great British Bake Off! There’s something about those type of shows that emulates how I do my craft creation – in my spare time, I do a lot of crafts, I love making things. Growing up, my mum didn’t really let me watch TV, and so I made things! I don’t have much of a chill down process; I just like to watch a bit of TV. P
Taken from the September 2021 edition of Dork, out now. Aluna’s single ‘Summer Of Love’ is out now.
