{"title":"Dawn Richard","description":"\u003cp\u003eDawn Richard treats Louisiana Creole culture, New Orleans bounce, and Southern Swag as elemental, allowing Dawn to weave in and out of house, footwork, R\u0026amp;B, and more. As she says, “I am the genre.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a founding member of Danity Kane, and later with Diddy’s Dirty Money, Dawn was able to explore the ins and outs of commercial pop music. As a solo artist, she opted to self-release her music. Over the span of five critically acclaimed full-length albums, Dawn has made the message clear that she will not bow down or bend to industry norms. All the while, she’s built her resume with enough extracurriculars to make your head spin: Cheerleader for the New Orleans Hornets? Check. Animator for Adult Swim? Check. Owner-operator of a vegan pop-up food truck? Check. Martial arts expert? Check!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You never see women appreciated as producers and artists alike—especially Black women in the electronic space. The time is now for us to start recognizing their talent, not only in electronic music but in all genres. I wanna be the reason why a young Black girl from the South can be whoever she wants to be musically, visually, and artistically.”\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dawn-richard-second-line","title":"Dawn Richard - Second Line","description":"\u003cp\u003eMuch like the New Orleans–born artist who created it, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dawn-richard\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e's \u003ci\u003eSecond Line \u003c\/i\u003eis an unapologetic genre bender that pushes boundaries, expands possibilities, and shatters expectations. It’s more than just an album: \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e is a cohesive sensory experience that questions traditional ideas of sound, production, and visual aesthetics as they relate to music. Its interlocking parts tell an epic story about the quest for artistic expression, with Dawn describing her project as “a movement to bring pioneering Black women in electronic music to the forefront.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe elaborates further: “You never see women appreciated as producers and artists alike—especially Black women in the electronic space. The time is now for us to start recognizing their talent, not only in electronic music but in all genres. I wanna be the reason why a young Black girl from the South can be whoever she wants to be musically, visually, and artistically.” \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e cuts to the chase with its opening suite of dancefloor bangers, immediately displaying Dawn’s mastery of layered production and melodic hooks. On the hypnotic “Nosta­lgia,” her pleas of “Do you love me anymore?” are answered on the following track “Boomerang.” “Bussifame” builds slowly and assuredly to become a feverish boogie before melting into the complex rhythms of “Pressure.” \u003ci\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/i\u003e treats Louisiana Creole culture, New Orleans bounce, and Southern Swag as elemental, allowing Dawn to weave in and out of house, footwork, R\u0026amp;B, and more. As she says, “I \u003ci\u003eam\u003c\/i\u003e the genre.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739242393911,"sku":"MRG756LP","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996579000631,"sku":"MRG756CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739242426679,"sku":"MRG756digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/9f05cbc78348ef945dfca4dd353e97f03090797d_19946ed9a09cb0932500c71eeedae953f37b6054_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600499"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-bubblegum","title":"Dawn Richard - \"Bubblegum\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eOf her first new music since the release of \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-spencer-zahn-pigments\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePigments\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, her 2022 collaboration with Spencer Zahn, \u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e says: “Leaning back into the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-second-line\"\u003eElectro Revival era\u003c\/a\u003e, I wanted to remind people that King Creole is just getting started. The preface to the second installment of the Electro Revival, ‘Bubblegum’ is a cocky candy-coated conundrum. Full of sass that only a New Orleans King can have, this yummy multi-genre single is just a taste of what’s to come.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739331359031,"sku":"MRG836dig1","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/i.jpg?v=1789751700"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-the-architect","title":"Dawn Richard - The Architect","description":"\u003cp style=\"margin-left:0px;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Architect \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis an epoch marking the next step in the winding, unpredictable, and layered musical genius of \u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e. Envisioned as one long seamless body of work, \u003ci\u003eThe Architect\u003c\/i\u003e weaves from the warbling industrial instrumental opening of “Your Love \/ Legends” to pure pop-dance bangers “Bubblegum” and “Babe Ruth.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739333488951,"sku":"MRG836digital","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/dd595e5a58ae0de1c267b3761abd0737850ba88f_ca0054eff48ba804e55ed22251b89e0c985760aa_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382534"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-a-flex","title":"Dawn Richard - \"A FLEX\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e“A FLEX” is the first taste of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dawn-richard\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e's next chapter and a confident return to the futurism and brass-soaked swagger of her \u003cstrong\u003eKing Creole\u003c\/strong\u003e era. After exploring new lanes within her genre-bending projects with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dawn-richard-spencer-zahn\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpencer Zahn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e, including last year’s \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuiet in a World Full of Noise\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, “A FLEX” sees Dawn stepping back into the lineage of 2021’s \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e with a sound that is bold and undeniably her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eDawn on “A FLEX”:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin-left:40px;text-align:justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe track is the kind of confidence that only I can give in my records… Dipped in legacy, the kind of flex that comes from survival, culture, and craft. It signals a new album on the way, one that continues my mission of building worlds through sound, movement, and memory.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align:justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e“A FLEX” is a stripped-down, one-room freestyle dance visual that reintroduces the raw spirit of “King Creole” through pure movement. The piece serves as a bridge between eras, pulling forward the bold, unfiltered attitude of the King Creole world while teasing the sonic and visual direction of the new project.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739438182711,"sku":"MRG896dig1","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/09cbe81d322edf585f63b035c9ff681ffd86d7cc_ff17cd55708e47ffcfd9754a9df5f006331f11a5_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382893"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-baby-can-we","title":"Dawn Richard - Baby, Can We?","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard\u003c\/strong\u003e teams up with GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist \u003cstrong\u003eDurand Bernarr\u003c\/strong\u003e on “\u003cstrong\u003ebaby, can we?\u003c\/strong\u003e,” released June 16, 2026, via Merge Records. Produced by \u003cstrong\u003eKatalyst Collective\u003c\/strong\u003e, the track blends New Orleans soul, progressive R\u0026amp;B, funk, and rich harmonies into a celebration of connection, vulnerability, and possibility. The collaboration marks the first time the two acclaimed artists have recorded together, combining Richard’s genre-defying vision with Bernarr’s renowned vocal talent. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K2AQ4VS_mpk\"\u003eA music video\u003c\/a\u003e directed by \u003cstrong\u003eRichard and Carl Harrison Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e accompanies the release, expanding on the song’s themes of joy, intimacy, culture, and movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe single follows Richard’s 2025 release \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-a-flex\"\u003eA FLEX\u003c\/a\u003e and offers another preview of her next artistic chapter. After exploring more experimental, genre-blending work with \u003cstrong\u003eSpencer Zahn\u003c\/strong\u003e on \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-spencer-zahn-pigments\"\u003ePigments \u003c\/a\u003e(2022) and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-spencer-zahn-quiet-in-a-world-full-of-noise\"\u003eQuiet in a World Full of Noise\u003c\/a\u003e (2024), \u003cstrong\u003eA FLEX\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ebaby, can we?\u003c\/strong\u003e signal a return to the sound and spirit of her 2021 album Second Line, drawing on the futurism and brass-infused energy of her \u003cstrong\u003eKing Creole\u003c\/strong\u003e era. Both Richard and Bernarr highlighted the collaboration as a natural, long-awaited partnership rooted in mutual respect, creative freedom, authenticity, and genuine connection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739440542007,"sku":"MRG896dig2","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/dd4e73ddbc0fece2bcf8cf75b302749ef486e335_fea4f7d6fba26b91989db74fc221f3cf6588fafe_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382967"},{"product_id":"dawn-richard-creole-culture","title":"Dawn Richard - creole culture","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreole Culture \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis the new album by multidisciplinary artist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dawn-richard\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:hsl(0,75%,60%);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDawn Richard,\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e out October 9, 2026 on \u003cstrong\u003eMerge Records\u003c\/strong\u003e. Steeped in history but with its flag planted firmly in the future, \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreole Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003epulls elements from Richard’s heritage as a Black and Native American woman who has spent a lifetime making and engaging with music. Following \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew Breed\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e (2019) and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dawn-richard-second-line\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:hsl(0,75%,60%);\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecond Line\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003e(2021), \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreole Culture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e is akin to a panel of a triptych: a fully-realized sonic and narrative universe in which Richard, as King Creole, rebuilds her hometown of New Orleans in her image. She not only honors her city for what it was or what it gave her, but stakes a claim for it as a cradle of global culture now and for all time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Peak Vinyl (Champagne Wave)","offer_id":52996582342967,"sku":"MRG896LP-C1","price":28.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52996582375735,"sku":"MRG896LP","price":27.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996582408503,"sku":"MRG896CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52941994787127,"sku":"MRG896digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/7e4ddbd65607cf637f2db660c3c469a386ffa989_8828bfe9d4689669e2fbd39278ece1d7d1663251_medium_jpg_56971f4c-8834-4bfa-8b12-b09b2e1b86ad.jpg?v=1789600620"}],"url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/dawn-richard.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}