Last October, one of the egregiously overlooked girl groups of their time, Danity Kane, released an album billed as a comeback, which is odd because they broke up again before the album’s release. It’s an exceptional take on textbook pop, something Dawn Richard has admitted that she was lucky to have done as the group’s lead singer. It’s true that her solo material is a stark contrast from what you’ll get on a Danity Kane album: there was her Joan of Arc-inspired breakup opus Goldenheart and her appearance on the bona fide tech house-pop classic Last Train To Paris as a member of Dirty Money. For as ambitious as Richard’s music has been of late, she has seemed to elude the alternative R&B tag (and notoriety) in comparison to her contemporaries. Her third studio album, Blackheart, continues on the path that has worked last time around, which is to blend epic imagery with pop that’s infused with fairly modern ideas in electronic music. Fortunately, everything comes together swimmingly and Blackheart pushes the ball forward for pop music.
Blackheart, the second album of a trilogy that started with 2013’s Goldenheart, continues in its predecessor’s violent imagery and diverse approach to pop and R&B. Take “Calypso” where jungle meets PC Music occasionally giving way to Richard’s calm interjections by way of vocoder or the synth pop that accompanies her mediation of a notorious archetype on “Billie Jean” as a sample of her range. While Blackheart is all over the place, it’s consistently on some sort of fringe, with the possible exception of the subdued “Warriors”. It’s a style that suits her, considering she confided to Billboard last March, “Sometimes people just want that authentic sound of R&B, and I’m not that artist.” Blackheart itself is a testament to an unwavering artistic vision and constant refinement.
Richard will win fans with this album because of the left-field production, but the triumph here is Richard’s vocals, which are proven to be just as versatile as the songs. Sometimes her vocals take the front seat or drive from the backseat. Takes like the one on “Projection” are guiding downbeat, meandering production. It’s her tactfulness that allows the instruments proper breathing room. The talent isn’t revelatory, as she’s been a proven commodity since Making The Band, but how Richard employs her gift on Blackheart is the work of a mad scientist.
It’s surprising that in 2015, more Top 40 pop and R&B doesn’t sound as modern as this, as we’re coming off a year of celebrating backwards looking pop by virtuosos who couldn’t string together great songs if they were at a crafts table and singers that possess an uncanny knack for hooks but don’t have the chops to match. Richard is the total package and is two steps ahead of her peers. Her third album stays fresh for virtually all of its 63-minute run time, which is no small feat. While brevity is not her strong suit, she’s surely amassed the artistic credibility to be a little self-indulgent. Blackheart is visionary and should be treated as such.
Album Rating: 4.5/5
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