Dawn Richard joins Merge Records family, to release new album in 2021

“The multi-hyphenated talent has been through the girl-group music machine and label politics to emerge with her artistic freedom intact. From New Orleans, she’s a music-industry outlier who confidently occupies—and constantly redefines—her own lane. She’s incomparable.” —NPR

“She manages to live inside her own genre, somewhere between futurism and ancient ballads, between Janelle Monáe, Rihanna, and Adele. And yet these comparisons are just boundaries, and Richard is not interested in boundaries—she makes independent records specifically to avoid them.” —Pitchfork

“The music she’s produced has been a compelling mix of the familiar and the exploratory. She’s clearly learned a thing or two from the pop R&B world, down to the pro-level choreography and universally relatable hooks. But she and her producers fuse it with often unconventional production and song structure that takes more from the electronic world—and a lyrical and visual imagination that is heavily influenced by high fantasy, sci-fi, and Greek mythology.” —The Verge

Please welcome the newest addition to the Merge Records roster: the multi-talented maven Dawn Richard! Billboard broke the news this week: After a run of incredible solo records both self-released and with the Local Action label, the New Orleans artist will release her next full-length on Merge worldwide in 2021.

Here’s Richard herself on today’s good news:

I set out a long time ago to create a lane where genre was optional. Where a Black woman could thrive in electropop and Afrofuturism unapologetically. This record has been such a cathartic experience. To create an immersive story highlighting New Orleans culture through a futuristic lens has just been… a wild-ass ride. I’m stoked to take the wild ride with Merge, and hopefully the world wants to jump on, too. I plan to reshape the way people see and hear New Orleans. Hope you ready?

Dawn Richard (pronounced “ree-shard”) treats Louisiana Creole culture, New Orleans bounce, and Southern Swag as elemental, allowing herself to weave in and out of house, footwork, R&B, and more. As she says, “I am the genre.”

As 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!

Album details to come very soon, so make sure you’re following Dawn Richard on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.