From “Verlierer” to Her Own Boss: Luna loud, queer, and finally in control

AFFECT caught up with Luna, a rising musician from Berlin whose honest lyrics and distinctive sound have already gained her a devoted following. But there’s much more behind her music than just catchy melodies and heartfelt songs. Luna opened up about balancing vulnerability and artistic control, staying true to herself in a fast-paced music industry, and the importance of creative freedom

AFFECT: Who are you, what do you do? 

L: Hi, I'm Luna. I'm from Berlin, I'm a musician, and honestly, I pretty much only do music.

A: What does your everyday life look like when you're not in the studio or on stage?

L: I recently started going to football training again. So yeah, I actually do a bit of other stuff on the side, but that’s still pretty new. I used to play football, and now I finally managed to get the courage to join a team again. Picking up old hobbies is cool.

A: What inspires you most musically and thematically right now? Are there artists or genres that particularly influence you?

L: Visually, someone like Tyler, the Creator has inspired me a lot. Or Billie Eilish, of course, also musically. I saw her live and became an even bigger fan after that. In the German-speaking scene, there are also lots of cool people. I especially think Berq is really, really cool because he’s just doing his own thing and has created this world for himself. So yeah, I’d name those three. And thematically, I think the most important thing for me is that it feels relatable and real. I try, of course, to separate my Luna-self from the private Alina, but in the end, the two are pretty close. And of course, those themes like queer topics play a big role, as well as self-love and self-acceptance. Recently, it’s also been important to me to show the happy side a bit more. I’ve been asked a lot, like, “Hey, are you really as sad as you sound in your songs?” And I’m like, “Sometimes, sure, but luckily, not all the time.” So now a few more summery songs have come out.

A: Your new single "Von Liebe" describe it in three words.

L: Light, definitely. In love, because often it’s been heartbreak songs. So now it’s just nice, and you can leave it at that. And funky.

A: What was the first thought or feeling the song triggered in you?

L: It was just a lot of fun. The demo and the sketch actually came about on my own. Normally, this is the kind of music you make in the studio with people and just have fun, but it’s also nice to have fun making music on your own. That was really cool, and I didn’t even go home right away because I kept listening to the song over and over. That’s just how it is when you’ve got something that feels finished for the moment. You listen to it like 10,000 times. And I worked a lot on the song in the south of France, at this songwriting camp with a bunch of other artists who were all doing their own thing. I took that sketch and finished it there with others.

A: Have you ever felt like you discovered a new side of yourself while writing a song?

L: Yeah, totally. Especially recently. I told myself I wanted to move away from this, looking back, pretty polished structure and rules. I just wanted to break free from that completely. Sometimes you don’t even realize that you’ve slipped into that kind of mode.
Then I told myself I don’t care anymore. I’m going to make music like I used to, when I didn’t have fans or anything. Just for me, because that’s what matters most, being happy yourself. Now I’d say that with every song I’ve released recently, there’s been something I did for the first time.

A: Is there a song of yours you’d write differently today?

L: I think I’d leave them the way they are because songs are what they are, and I like them for that. And of course, you learn from them. I don’t really regret anything in life because I believe everything happens for a reason. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be where we are now. But if I were to write a song like I used to, I’d probably approach it differently. It would automatically end up being something else. I wouldn’t pressure myself as much, not with deadlines like “a song has to be finished now.”
Now I work in a way where I start a bunch of little snippets and just work on them in parallel. Even if it’s just two lines I continue, it’s about how I feel in the moment. I didn’t use to do that.

A: How do you balance vulnerability and artistic control in your music?

L: I don’t think I thought much about that in the early years because there wasn’t even time to think. Everything happened so fast with the first releases, moving to Berlin. Suddenly you’re in this music industry, don’t know anyone, and have no clue how others are doing it. I’ve definitely shown vulnerability. Even before “Verlierer,” I had releases where I only uploaded songs on YouTube. I remember being in school back then and thinking, “Oh no, what if my classmates hear or see that?”
Actually, the reason I uploaded stuff to TikTok in the beginning was because all my friends followed me on Instagram. I didn’t have TikTok, so I thought, “I’ll just post it there, they won’t see it anyway.” But then boom, it went viral, and suddenly everyone saw it. I’ve never regretted being open and honest. Looking back, it helped me a lot.It was almost like therapy. When you keep talking about things that are hard, even in interviews, at some point it’s not hard anymore. At least that’s how it was for me.

A: Young female artists often face high expectations. How do you stay true to yourself artistically?

L: Yeah, that’s a good question because I’ve honestly had moments recently where I thought, okay, I know what I want visually, how the music videos and the songs and content should look, but then there’s social media. And you feel like everyone’s racing ahead of you, and the algorithm doesn’t like you again. Then you start looking left and right. Of course people give you advice like, “Just post one more TikTok, one more.” But I’ve told myself I’ll only post when I really feel it, when it’s 100 percent something I stand behind creatively. So I’ve decided to go with maybe a few less trends than I did six months ago.

A: What changes would you like to see in the music industry to make it more inclusive and fair for women?
L: Well, still, if you look at festival lineups... I mean, I do see that things are shifting. But yeah, it can’t be that people say, “We have X number of female slots.” That just shouldn’t exist. And especially when a woman does get a slot, people say, “Oh, you only got that for the quota.” Everyone, regardless of gender, should be seen the same way. There are so many amazing FLINTA* artists out there. We need more formats created, more people talking about it, and especially the people who aren’t affected. I’d love to see non-FLINTA* artists speak up more.

A: What would you tell your 18-year-old self today?

L: God, that’s already four years ago. Where was I at 18? I had just moved to Berlin, just finished high school. I’d say, chill. Like, enjoy it.When you’re constantly running on adrenaline and think you have to perform, it’s a lot of pressure. But also things I’ve dreamed of, like standing on these huge stages since I was super little. And suddenly, it’s happening. I’d just say, don’t stress.
I remember once I was playing a festival with Paula Hartmann and Nina Chuba. I was rushing around from A to B, panicking, rereading my setlist over and over, and they were just vibing and having fun. They were like, “Luna, chill out.” I should’ve listened to them more.

A: What can your fans and new listeners expect from you in the coming months?

L: First and foremost, music. I’ve made it my goal to release more again. A red thread or cohesive sound is nice, sure, but right now I mostly just want to make what I love. If I write a song tomorrow that sounds completely different, I’ll still want to release it.
It’s really important to me to show different sides of myself and strengthen that connection with the listeners.
That connection is the most beautiful thing in the end, interacting with people.
I’m now also part of the creative direction for my music videos. I never used to do that.
But now it feels like a second part of the artistic process. First you make the song, and then you create the video around it.

A: Great. Thank you so much, Luna.

L: Thank you.

by Noémi Zak