D∆WN – formerly Dawn Richard – is a shapeshifter.
Not only has her career taken many forms – from a contestant in MTV show Making the Band to a part of Diddy-led girl group Danity Kane, to one of the most unique voices on the peripheries of r’n’b, pop, electronica and more – but she’s adopted various looks and aesthetics throughout the visuals for Blackheart, her latest solo album. No two Blackheart videos are the same, and the dramatic visuals are even more impressive when you consider that she’s still an unmanaged independent artist, self-releasing her music with an assistant.
FACT TV sat down with Dawn the day after her show at London’s Jazz Cafe to get into the nitty gritty of Blackheart’s videos, how they reflect her evolution as a person and an artist, and the influence she’s taken from Missy Elliott, Janet Jackson, Jam & Lewis and more.