Goldenheart
Born and raised in New Orleans, Dawn Richard was originally known as Dawn Angelique; she recorded the solo album *Been a While* in the mid-\'00s. A star on MTV\'s *Making the Band 3*, she was a key member of Diddy\'s made-for-TV groups Danity Kane and Dirty Money. She also collaborated with Lil Wayne and Flo Rida and released the mixtape *The Prelude to a Telltale Heart*. Her well-received solo EP *Armor On* dropped in early 2012, featuring singles like \"Bombs\" and \"Automatic.\" *Goldenheart* is said to be the first in a trilogy of new albums, and it flaunts both her flair for melodrama and an appreciation of \'80s-style keyboards. Produced and cowritten by Druski, it\'s loaded with dreamy synth washes, freaky effects, plenty of electro flourishes, and an interesting mix of spacy Björk-style vocals and standard-issue pop-minded modern R&B. Standouts include \"Gleaux,\" \"Northern Lights,\" \"86,\" and the Peter Gabriel revamp \"In Your Eyes.\"
On her second studio album, Dawn Richard proves her mettle as a fiercely independent force in a world dominated by name-dropping and endless collaborations. Goldenheart was largely produced by just one guy, Druski, leaving Richard's epic portrayal of love as war to flourish.
On the surface, there's a certain "je ne sais quoi" to former Danity Kane/Ex-Dirty Money singer Dawn Richard's latest effort. Kudos to Richa...
Dawn Richard's debut solo album has an epic, elemental vision, and songs to match, writes <strong>Alex Macpherson</strong>