The purpose built next generation interstellar Dawn Richard thread

i think a lot of critics and editors still don't quite understand how irrelevant "r&b" has become commercially (they see beyoncé and rihanna and extrapolate the wrong things), but their rationale for covering r&b/pop in the first place is because they're commercial phenomenona, and so you end up with them thinking that if a certain r&b artist is a commercial flop then they're not worth covering.

i mean who's the biggest new female success story of the last few years, Keri Hilson?

i'm still not entirely sure how/why this happened, btw. like...she doesn't have a noteworthy voice, she doesn't have a distinct or recognisable aesthetic or persona, she just has occasional enjoyable tunes. maybe that's it - she's so undemanding for fans, requires no real investment.

Keri is undeniably an underachiever but i mean i like her vocal tone a lot, she writes well and she's smoking hot, you could do a lot worse. depending on how 'new' you consider her J-Hud is probably her closest competition and she's more of a typical big voice sensation but even more underachieving as far as her actual recorded output.

R&B radio is maybe getting into that same zone as American Idol the last few years where the audience is so heavily female and so heavily invested in its male heartthrobs that a woman would have to be 2x as talented as Trey Songz to be half as successful as him

which is interesting given how pop radio has been so totally dominated by female vocalists

lol @ lex broadcasting my bitchy description of him on twitter as a compliment

oops wrong thread

my one only reaction to this right now is HOLY SHIT @ "FAITH"

Keri Hilson is in some ways the last vestige of a very different, money-flushed era of R&B. Tim and co spent forever manufacturing her into the perfect mass-market star (succeeding, but just barely).

I don't think labels have the interest in making big new R&B stars right now (look how long K. Michelle has been trying to release an album), and I don't think the media has any interest in covering them (most magazines couldn't even be bothered to review Melanie Fiona's fantastic new album). And for the Nikkiyas, Jade Alstons and even Jhene Aikos of the world, there just really isn't much of a support system.

yeah but i mean...those are Z-listers that wouldn't've even had a shot at any kind of audience without a hit single 10 years ago when R&B was really big business. at least now there's mixtapes and blogs and more of a live circuit where people that will never get a Def Jam release date can foster a following.

I don't know that this is a new phenomenon though. I mean, no media outlets had any interest in reviewing Shareefa's album! Or Algebra's!

i don't know much about algerba

"faith" would hit billboard w/ a major label push right?

All those songs on the Kelly Rowland album that kinda sounded like "Faith" didn't, so I wouldn't get my hopes up

oh i have no hopes

but either way that song is MASSIVE

'faith' feels like three songs mashed into one

There were songs on the Kelly Rowland album that sounded like "Faith"? Cause "Faith" is incredible and that album was boring as fuck, "Motivation" aside.

most of y'all will prob cringe a this but i'm most reminded of 808s & heartbreak

you are correct at the first part

the first part of 'faith' really reminds me of 'i hate that you love me'

yeah, me too -- the tone of the piano is the same

it really reminds me of that kelis EP... just a lot better

talking just about "faith", and kelis album, not EP

i'm allllllllll about "scripture"

I am so sad right now that I am working and can't listen to this over and over and over.

was kind of thinking how the little 'dance-floor buildup' a la we found love was not really necessary in 'faith'

xp yeah, but also in just how motorik the percussion is, just a kind of military stomp

like I'm not quite sold on the anthemic second half when the synths and kickdrum come in...but maybe that'll come

yeah the kelis album was what i thought of re: "faith" too

SORRY IF YOU THINK IF YOU THINK I'M AUTOMATIC
FUCKIN WITH THE WRONG TOY NO BATTERIES INCLUDED
TRYNA TURN ME ON CUZ YOU THINK I'M OPERATED
TREAT ME LIKE A DROID CUZ YOU THINK I'M AUTOMATIC

woah this is good

― art dealin' thru the west coast (tpp), Tuesday, 27 March 2012 11:56 (9 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ugh, it's not on amazon and i don't fuck with itunes

i think it leaked, someone kindly gave me a link on twitter.

aha, found it! thx

still wanna put my money on it tho

the percussion is really what makes this album

yes, but also the tunes + dawn

I take those two as a given tbh

just grokked the "pearls" reference in "scripture"

fuck itunes i paid for this and all songs will download except one!

ugh son

Just downloaded this, but can't listen to it yet (at a cafe and I have no headphones).

Instead, I am thoroughly enjoying the OG dropshadow booklet design.

the last minute of "Heaven", fuck! those strings and that ever more insistent percussion

HOW GOOD IS IT

http://dawnrichard.tumblr.com/post/20054589357/bombs-away-say-hey-what-did-you-say-shout-out-to

scroll down <3

OK, at home now listening to the album. At Automatic, seems like the track sequence is really perfect.

yeah it's sequenced really really well

I'm hanging in there for Faith and Scripture based on comments here, although it's still great to hear Black Lipstick and Changes again this way!

OK, well obviously, Faith is my new jam. But feel like I need much more time with this!

Just downloaded it. Preparing to listen.

People saying "Faith" sounds like Flesh Tone otm. Love that album, need to go back to it.