Dawn Richard Announces New Album ‘Second Line,’ Shares ‘Bussifame’

New Orleans R&B singer Dawn Richard has announced Second Line, her first album since signing to her new label Merge Records. The LP is due out on April 30th and Richard describes the project as “a movement to bring pioneering Black women in electronic music to the forefront.”

“You never see women appreciated as producers and artists alike — especially Black women in the electronic space,” she elaborates. “The time is now for us to start recognizing their talent, not only in electronic music but in all genres. I wanna be the reason why a young Black girl from the South can be whoever she wants to be musically, visually, and artistically.”

On Tuesday, Richard released “Bussifame” as the lead single for Second Line. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, she explained how the song plays into the meaning behind the album’s title, which takes its name from a jazz band tradition in New Orleans parades and funerals.

“Yeah, you know what’s crazy in New Orleans? A second line, we hear it outside,” she said. “So, normally, when you’re in the house, you don’t have to be a part of the funeral or the celebrations, and just be like, you hear that. Usually we’re in our house, you hear it, and you just walk outside and you join it. So, you can even not even know the person who passed away. You could even not even know what the party was, but if you hear it, feel it, you can join it. So, that’s what this album and this record ‘Bussifame’ really speaks to. If you hear it, no matter if you’re inside, outside, wherever. You can join this party, you can join this parade. Yeah, it’s a parade.”