Dawn Richard show of her vulnerable side on her new single, “86,” produced by Druski. The 80’s-inspired ballad is the lead single from Richard’s debut album, “Golden Heart,” due October 16.
In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, Richard discussed her new single:
For “’86,” my producer Drew and I really went back to the basics. I also grew up listening to Prince, Genesis, Cyndi [Lauper], Peter Gabriel, and Phil Collins, which you hear a lot of in “’86.” Their sound resonated in my life and my childhood, so, it’s really in a sense the beginning of my story. And that’s exactly what “’86” and “Goldenhear”t is for me. A new beginning. “’86” is really the most naked single I’ve ever had. I did that purposely because when you’re presenting a story, you don’t start at page 50, you start at page one. “’86” is about the lyrics and the atmosphere—it tells you how I gave it all up to start this new journey. “’86” is actually a slang term—it means to get rid of something. For me, I’ve put up so many walls that I forgot if I was going to do this, that I can’t play the victim, I have to play the survivor. The song’s about ridding yourself of all those barriers so that you can be free and fight for love. That’s what everything I do now is about. The fight for love—what I love, and that’s the music.
Check out “86” below.