Blackheart

Blackheart is the third studio album by the American singer Dawn Richard, which was released on January 15, 2015, by Our Dawn Entertainment. The album was originally scheduled for an October 2013 release, but was pushed back for the production of the third Danity Kane album DK3. None of the previously released singles ("Judith", "Meteors", "Levitate" and "Valkyrie") can be found on the final track listing. Background The release of the album was initially announced in May 2011 in Rap-Up magazine as part of an upcoming trilogy of albums. By July 2013, after the self-funded January released Goldenheart had sold a total of 9,000 copies domestically, Richard found herself lacking sufficient funds to produce her next album, leading to her starting a campaign via Kickstarter in which she asked her fans to donate a total of 25,000 dollars. With 133 backers lending 2,854 dollars, Richard was not able to reach her goal, however, and the campaign was unsuccessful. At that time, the album was intended to be released by October 7, 2013, and to include 11 or 12 songs. The logos and art work were to be chosen interactively by her fans, like the choice of the second single between two songs "Judith" and "Valkyrie". The latter was later remixed with the singer JoJo. By early September 2013, the album was eventually postponed due to Richard, Aubrey O'Day, Aundrea Fimbres and Shannon Bex deciding to reunite as Danity Kane. In an interview with Billboard magazine on March 13, 2014, when asked about the status of Blackheart, Richard explained that it was still in production, and was the second installment of three albums to be ended with Redemptionheart. She elaborated on how it continues the story of the first part of the trilogy, while it would exist with a slightly dissimilar atmosphere, saying, "Goldenheart put you on a battlefield in medieval times. Blackheart will put you in a place where you're stuck in a rainforest by yourself, and you realize that you have all this armor, but you have this blood on you as well." Next to the digitally released singles "Valkyrie", "Levitate", "Judith" and "Meteors", a song called "Tide", described as ""Judith"'s step-sister" was not added to the regular track list of the album. The latter song, however, can be found as a bonus track on the vinyl edition of the album.