Q&A: HoneyLuv Launches the Label She Always Wanted to Build With 4 Tha Luv
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
THERE’S A MOMENT IN EVERY ARTIST’S CAREER WHERE THE QUESTION STOP BEING “HOW DO I GET IN” and starts being "how do I build something that lasts?" For HoneyLuv, that moment is now. The Cleveland-born DJ and producer — who went from a Los Angeles bedroom during the pandemic to headlining Coachella, EDC Las Vegas, and Pacha Ibiza in just a few years — has spent 2026 moving faster than ever. Massive collaborations, a record-breaking Ibiza season, shows on nearly every continent. And right in the middle of all of it, she quietly built a label.
4 THA LUV launched on September 25th with "Good Measure," a soulful, groove-driven house track featuring Gavin Turek and Cor.Ece that HoneyLuv wrote two years ago and held onto until the timing was right. It's the kind of song that could have gone anywhere, and the fact that it's landing on her own imprint is exactly the point. "It feels like full circle," she said of the release. "A reminder that some things are worth waiting for, and everything happens when it's supposed to." More than a label, 4 THA LUV is being built as a full creative platform, spanning music, events, content, and mentorship with a specific focus on creating tangible opportunities for Black, female, and LGBTQ+ artists in dance music. Not representation for its own sake, but real access: releases, resources, relationships, and room at the table.
HoneyLuv has been one of the most exciting artists in house music for a few years now: BBC Radio 1 Dance Future Star, DJ Mag Breakthrough Producer, 21 million streams on her breakout "365 (Thr33 6ix 5ive)" alone. But this chapter feels different. It's the one where she stops working within other people's visions and starts building her own. We sat down with HoneyLuv to talk about the label, the song, and what she's really trying to create.
LUNA: "Good Measure" was written two years ago and you held onto it until you had your own label to release it through. What made you know this was the right song to launch 4 THA LUV with?
HONEYLUV: "Good Measure" has always felt special to me. I made it about two years ago during a session at W1 Creates in London, and even back then I knew there was something about the record that I didn't want to rush. I had opportunities to release it before, but nothing ever felt completely right. Once I started building 4 THA LUV into what I really wanted it to be, it made sense that this song should be the first release. It represents where I've been, where I am now, and the kind of music I want the label to stand for: music with soul, rhythm, feeling, and something that can live beyond just one moment on the dancefloor.
LUNA: What does it feel like to finally put out a record on your own terms, through something you built yourself?
HONEYLUV: It feels freeing. As an artist, you're constantly working within other people's timelines, opinions, and ideas of how something should be released. With 4 THA LUV, I get to trust my own instincts and build the world around the music the way I see it. There's also a different level of responsibility because it's mine. I'm not just the artist anymore. I'm thinking about the release, the visuals, the marketing, the bigger picture and what comes next. But that ownership makes it even more rewarding because I'm building something that can eventually be bigger than me.
LUNA: 4 THA LUV is described as a creative platform spanning music, events, content, and mentorship. What does that actually look like in practice, and what does the next chapter of it look like?
HONEYLUV: I don't want 4 THA LUV to just be a label where we upload records and move on to the next release. The idea is to build an actual ecosystem around artists. Music is obviously at the center, but I see events where people can experience that music in real life, content that tells the stories behind the artists, and mentorship that gives newer artists access to information and people they might not normally have access to. The next chapter is about expanding beyond my own releases and bringing other artists into that world. I want people to hear a 4 THA LUV record or come to one of our events and immediately understand the feeling and community behind it.
LUNA: A central focus of 4 THA LUV is creating tangible opportunities for Black, female, and LGBTQ+ talent in dance music. What are the specific gaps you're trying to fill that you've experienced yourself?
HONEYLUV: One of the biggest gaps is access. There's so much talent, especially among Black, female and LGBTQ+ artists, but talent alone doesn't automatically get you into the rooms where decisions are being made. Sometimes people need someone to give them that first opportunity, introduce them to the right person, explain how the business works, or simply believe in what they're doing before everyone else does. I've experienced being in spaces where there weren't many people who looked like me, so I understand how important representation is, but I want to go beyond representation. I want 4 THA LUV to create actual opportunities: releases, shows, mentorship, collaborations and resources that can help someone build a sustainable career.
LUNA: You went from bedroom DJ during the pandemic to international headliner in just a few years. What did you learn during that rise that you want to pass on to the next generation of artists coming up through 4 THA LUV?
HONEYLUV: Probably the biggest thing I learned is that there's no one path. My career moved incredibly fast — from DJing in my bedroom during the pandemic to traveling the world — but there was a lot happening behind the scenes that people didn't see. You have to be ready when opportunities come, but you also have to keep learning because the industry changes constantly. I've learned to trust my instincts, understand the business side, build genuine relationships and not lose sight of why I started. I want younger artists coming through 4 THA LUV to understand that you don't have to copy somebody else's journey. Build your own identity, know what you bring to the table, and make sure you're building something that can last.
LUNA: You've had a massive year between "Don't Stop" with Muni Long, "I Need U" with TSHA, a remix of 112's "Dance With Me," and your biggest Ibiza season yet. What does it feel like to be in this moment, and how do you stay grounded in it?
HONEYLUV: Sometimes I have to stop and really take it in because so many things I used to visualize are now my actual life. Working with artists like Muni Long and TSHA, remixing 112, having another incredible season in Ibiza, traveling and playing these stages around the world — it's a lot to process when you're constantly moving. I stay grounded by remembering where I started and keeping the people who knew me before all of this close. I also really value my time alone. Going to the gym, being in the studio, having quiet moments when I'm not "HoneyLuv" helps me reset. I'm extremely grateful for this moment, but I'm also still hungry. I don't look at anything I've accomplished as the finish line.
LUNA: House music has a specific cultural lineage — rooted in Black, queer communities in Chicago and New York. How do you think about honoring that history while also pushing the sound forward?
HONEYLUV: For me, you can't really talk about house music without acknowledging where it came from. Black and queer communities are foundational to this culture, and I think honoring that history starts with actually knowing it and making sure those stories don't disappear as dance music continues to grow globally. At the same time, honoring history doesn't mean the music has to stay frozen in one era. House has always evolved. I want to respect the foundation while bringing my own influences into it, especially the R&B, soul and groove that naturally come through in my music. Pushing the sound forward and respecting where it came from can exist at the same time.
LUNA: What do you want 4 THA LUV to look like in five years?
HONEYLUV: In five years, I want 4 THA LUV to be a platform that artists genuinely want to be part of — not just because of what we can do for a record, but because of what the name represents. I want a strong roster of artists with their own identities, successful releases, events around the world and a real mentorship component that is helping develop the next generation. I also want it to become a place where different parts of culture can meet through music, visuals, fashion and content. Ultimately, I want someone to be able to say that 4 THA LUV gave them an opportunity or helped change the direction of their career. That would mean more to me than simply having a successful label.
LUNA: What intentions do you have for the rest of this year going into 2027?
HONEYLUV: For the rest of this year, my intention is to finish strong but also be intentional about what I'm building. This year has been a lot of movement, touring, releases and growth, so going into 2027 I want to take everything I've learned and become even more focused. I want to spend more time creating, continue developing 4 THA LUV, work with artists who inspire me and keep pushing myself musically. I've accomplished a lot of things I once visualized, but there's still another level I know I can reach. Going into 2027, it's really about building with purpose, protecting my creativity and continuing toward that bigger vision I have for myself and 4 THA LUV.
