Across three solo albums, DAWN has honed a style of music that she describes as “genderless and genreless”.
DAWN’s 2019 album New Breed was her most successful to date. Showcasing her home city New Orleans and the Carnival Indian culture makes her latest album a one of a kind masterpiece. Her vocal and dance ability are matched with her production and songwriting skills making her one of most extraordinary talents of our time. New Breed was named as one of the year’s best albums by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Vogue, FACT, LA Times, Spin, Rap Up and many more. DAWN continues to push the boundaries of music and visual technology with her videos and live show, becoming the first artist to perform live in 360 on YouTube. She has also released a VR album debuted by WIRED as well as collaborated with her long time partners Adult Swim making her the first black female singer to do so. What makes DAWN a unique pop sensation and a phenomenon is that she does this all DIY. Being completely Independent with no label or team she has broken ceilings for women, POC, LGBTQ, and so many others. DAWN is more than just her music, she is a movement.
Black Lipstick
Dawn Richard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or maybe someone
Hope a relation
Or revelation
She smelled of temptation
Made me be patient
I have to say hey
I have to see her
Leather jacket on
Collar high
Couldn't see her face
She ice skated on my heart
Couldn't Feel the blade
I think I'm color blind
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey. (I'm bleeding)
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(She wore)
My heart is running
Running, running
Away from love when
She called me apart
From a far and the distance
Without saying a word from her lips
She had me intrigued
She wore
She wore black lipstick call her renegade
Leather jacket on
Collar high
Couldn't see her face
She ice skated on my heart
Couldn't feel the blade
I think I'm color blind
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(I'm bleeding)
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(She wore)
Oh I'm bleeding I'm bleeding yeah.
She wore black lipstick call her renegade
Leather jacket on
Collar high
Couldn't see her face
She ice skated on my heart
Couldn't feel the blade
I think I'm color blind
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(I'm bleeding)
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(She wore)
In Dawn Richard’s song Black Lipstick, the lyrics depict the singer’s encounter with an alluring woman who is characterized by her choice of lipstick color and a rebellious, leather-clad persona. The singer’s search for something or someone leads her to this enigmatic figure who exudes sensuality and danger. The woman's black lipstick, which is emphasized throughout the song, is symbolic of her defiance towards conventional norms of beauty and behavior. The use of “renegade” to describe her further reinforces this theme of rebellion and nonconformity. The leather jacket, high collar, and hidden face add to the air of mystique that surrounds her. The singer is drawn to her despite the apprehension she feels because of the woman's tempestuous nature, and the blade that the woman is skating with only adds to that tension.
As the singer’s heart gets “ice-skated” on by the woman, the lyrics intensify with the use of the metaphor of bleeding black and gray. At this point, the singer is passionately and possibly self-destructively in love with the woman. However, she is still unsure if her feelings will be reciprocated, and the chorus repeats the phrase “Couldn’t feel the blade” as if to emphasize this uncertainty. The singer’s heart is “running away from love” again, but this time it’s the woman who calls her apart, from “a far and the distance”. The song ends on a melancholic note, with the impression that the singer's heart is still in a vulnerable state, and the future of the relationship remains uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I was looking for something
I was searching for something, perhaps even someone.
Or maybe someone
I wasn't sure if it was an object or a person that I was seeking.
Hope a relation
I was hoping to find a connection with someone or something.
Or revelation
Or to experience a profound realization or discovery.
She smelled of temptation
This person had an alluring scent that was tempting to me.
Made me be patient
Her presence made me more patient and willing to wait for her.
I have to say hey
I had to say hello and introduce myself.
I have to see her
I needed to see this person again.
She wore black lipstick call her renegade
This person had a rebellious edge, symbolized by her black lipstick.
Leather jacket on
She wore a leather jacket, further embodying her edgy persona.
Collar high
Her collar was flipped up, adding to her overall coolness.
Couldn't see her face
Despite her striking appearance, her face was obscured or hidden in some way.
She ice skated on my heart
She gracefully and effortlessly glided across my heart, leaving an impact on me.
Couldn't Feel the blade
Despite the fact that she skated across my heart, it didn't hurt or cut me in any way.
I think I'm color blind
I feel like I can't see things clearly or in their true colors because of my feelings for her.
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey. (I'm bleeding)
My emotions are dark and melancholic, just like the colors black and grey that I associate with them.
Cause I'm bleeding black and grey.(She wore)
The reason I'm feeling this way is because of her and her edgy look symbolized by the black lipstick and leather jacket.
Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.