Goldenheart

Born and raised in New Orleans, Dawn Richard was originally known as Dawn Angelique; she recorded the solo album Been a While in the mid-'00s. A star on MTV's Making the Band 3, she was a key member of Diddy's made-for-TV groups Danity Kane and Dirty Money. She also collaborated with Lil Wayne and Flo Rida and released the mixtape The Prelude to a Telltale Heart. Her well-received solo EP Armor On dropped in early 2012, featuring singles like "Bombs" and "Automatic." Goldenheart is said to be the first in a trilogy of new albums, and it flaunts both her flair for melodrama and an appreciation of '80s-style keyboards. Produced and cowritten by Druski, it's loaded with dreamy synth washes, freaky effects, plenty of electro flourishes, and an interesting mix of spacy Björk-style vocals and standard-issue pop-minded modern R&B. Standouts include "Gleaux," "Northern Lights," "86," and the Peter Gabriel revamp "In Your Eyes."