Louder: Dawn Richard Will Find a Way to Be Heard

April 16, 2021

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

Reality television has brought a lot of musicians into our lives over the past 20 years: superstars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson; flashes in the pan like (I feel too guilty to name them, but I’m sure a few come to mind). And then there are the rare few who zigged and zagged so sharply, it’s hard to reconcile where they originated with their current stations. Dawn Richard has always been a member of that elite third set; arriving in a girl group assembled by Diddy on MTV’s “Making the Band 3,” she soon revealed herself to be an artist with broader tastes and a more adventurous spirit than the box she was hammered into. With little to zero industry support over the past decade-plus, she has persevered. Her latest album, “Second Line,” is named for the New Orleans tradition, and is arriving on a label known for indie rock. Jeremy Gordon spoke to her about it all.

The past came back to visit us this week: Rob Tannenbaum reported on a series of posthumous Alan Vega releases, starting with an album recorded in the mid-90s with his wife and musical partner, Liz Lamere; Eric Ducker explored the long tail of “Avril 14th,” an Aphex Twin song released 20 years ago that continues to inspire a range of musicians; and Nate Rogers wrote about the first-ever release by the Los Angeles punk band Screamers, arriving about 44 years late (but much better than never). And my father and I both recommend this Metro story about Madeline Forman, who at 17 discovered her magical voice but had to put music aside; now 94, she is living part of her dream.

And our At Home team put together a playlist of tracks submitted by readers that capture the one song they’ll forever associate with quarantine. Listen to all 100-plus of them!

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Dawn Richard Will Find a Way to Be Heard

After finding fame in the girl group Danity Kane, the singer-songwriter has navigated the music industry on her own. Her new album is steeped in the energy and defiance of New Orleans.

By Jeremy Gordon

THE CRITICS

The Playlist

Phoebe Bridgers Reworks Paul McCartney, and 11 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Andra Day, London Grammar, José González and others.

By Jon Pareles, Giovanni Russonello and Lindsay Zoladz

Album Review

Rod Wave and Lil Tjay, Two Brands of Sing-Rap With Different Bite

Rod Wave’s new album “SoulFly” extracts maximum melancholy, while Lil Tjay’s “Destined 2 Win” can’t find a firm grip.

By Jon Caramanica

The Telling of DMX’s Life Story

A conversation about the intense potency of the rapper’s music and religious fervor, and what it was like to interview him.

Critic’s Notebook

This Ain’t No Disco: Alone in a Crowd at the Armory

At times, the experience of “SOCIAL! the social distance dance club” felt no more freeing than dancing by myself in my cramped living room, our critic says.

By Siobhan Burke

FEATURES

Ari Marcopoulos

Alan Vega Left a Robust Vault. The Excavation Begins With a New Album.

The Suicide singer died in 2016. Now his wife and musical partner, Liz Lamere, is releasing “Mutator,” an album the duo made in the mid-90s.

By Rob Tannenbaum

Andy Willsher/Redferns, via Getty Images

The Long Tail of Aphex Twin’s ‘Avril 14th’

A song released 20 years ago continues to inspire curiosity and covers by classical, experimental and pop artists.

By Eric Ducker

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Screamers, a Missing Link of Los Angeles Punk, Is Missing No More

An archival release marks the technical debut of a band that helped build a scene, 44 years later.

By Nate Rogers

New Friends

The rising star and established icon who've discovered they have a lot in common.

By Jon Caramanica

Eddy de Pretto Is the Proud Sound of a New France

Born in the Paris suburbs, the singer has made waves with two albums that draw as much from ’60s chanson as contemporary hip-hop.

By Jason Farago

Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

She’s 94 Now, but at 17 Her Voice Was Magical. Have a Listen.

Madeline Forman dreamed of being a singer, but life intervened. Seven decades later, she found a record in her closet that she had forgotten about completely.

By Abby Ellin

OBITUARIES

Ethel Gabriel, a Rare Woman in the Record World, Dies at 99

For much of her more than 40 years at RCA, Ms. Gabriel was a producer, overseeing “Living Strings” and other profitable lines.

By Neil Genzlinger

Frank Jacobs, Mad Magazine Writer With a Lyrical Touch, Dies at 91

He deftly mocked pop culture, politics and more for 57 years. He also wrote new lyrics for familiar songs, which led to a lawsuit from Irving Berlin and others.

By Richard Sandomir

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Did the Music Industry Change? A Race ‘Report Card’ Is on the Way.

The Black Music Action Coalition, a group of managers, lawyers and others, was created last summer with a mission to hold the business to account. In June, it will report on the progress so far.

By Ben Sisario

Fyre Festival Ticket Holders Win $7,220 Each in Class-Action Settlement

Nearly four years after the infamous festival stranded thousands of attendees in the Bahamas, 277 ticket holders learned they will receive payouts, pending approval.

By Sarah Bahr

25 Free Performances Come to Bryant Park Starting in June

The park will host events for live audiences of 200 with institutions including the New York Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub and the Classical Theater of Harlem.

By Ben Sisario