“Dawn Richard’s latest album is steeped in the energy and defiance of New Orleans.” —New York Times

“On her new album, the former Danity Kane singer combines electronic beats with references to the cultural touchstones of New Orleans.” —New Yorker

“…nebulas of rhythm-first, luxuriantly bass-y production brought to Earth by [Dawn’s] storytelling.” —Pitchfork

“A joyous, vibrant record, Second Line establishes Richard as a visionary artist, as well as a powerhouse producer.” —Paste

There’s no better way for Dawn Richard to kick off Second Line release week than to share her nod to the New Orleans area code, “FiveOhFour (a lude).” Like “Pilot,” another (inter)lude found on Second Line, “FiveOhFour” arrived with a music video on Dawn’s YouTube channel for fans at midnight. This one was shot at the New Orleans Museum of Art and features Richard flanked by Ashley “LA” Ragsdale and Nala Bonae.

Richard herself on the lude:

“FiveOhFour” was produced and written by me. I wanted something on Second Line that represents the essence of New Orleans. I want to collide grit with structure. Performing this in NOMA’s sculpture garden was such a cool idea because I wanted our post-apocalyptic look to be in direct contrast with the beauty of the garden. We chose a more grunge choreography and enlarged the heads on our bodies as a play on rough against beauty, which to me represents the 504 perfectly.

Tomorrow, Dawn Richard appears on BBC London with Robert Elms at 8am ET / 1pm UK time and returns to Zane Lowe’s Apple Music 1 program Thursday at noon ET.

The story of Second Line centers on Dawn’s persona King Creole, assassin of stereotypes, a Black girl from the South at a crossroads in her artistic career. To move forward, she decides to look back, but where previous album New Breed took influence from her father, Second Line is illuminated by Dawn’s mother. Her proud, repeated proclamation of “I’m a Creole Girl” introduces the ecstatic dancehall pop of “Jacuzzi,” and later, on the cinematic album centerpiece “Mornin | Streetlights,” she answers Dawn’s question of how many times she has been in love. Intimate conversations like this between the two are interlaced throughout Second Line, giving credence to how the protagonist came to be, and direction to build a lane forward.

Don’t forget to rewatch the music video for “Bussifame” too! Second Line is shipping out from the Merge store now; reserve your copy on CD or LP and bundle it with an exclusive lyric zine and/or long-sleeved t-shirt. The white Deluxe Peak Vinyl edition featuring the bonus King Creole–shaped 12-inch is sold out in our shop but still available through Rough Trade (US | UK).