Dawn Richard Interview

Days after D. Woods was expelled on Making the Band, she remixed "Swagger Like Us" with her group Girls Club, taking shots at you and the rest of the group. Any response?

I didn't even listen to the song. I'm not giving that any thought. I don't have issues with anyone. If people want to write records about other people, that's totally on them. I'm not going to address any negativity, but I wish the fans could observe that, because that tells a lot about people.

We've got some instrumentals already loaded, in case you change your mind. 

You know how I'm going to respond? I'm going to write number-one singles on other people's albums, so I can continue with my life and this business. That's what I came to do.

We'd bet your comic book heroine would take a more aggressive initiative. Tell us about Danity Kane Comics.

I'm so proud of it. My brother and I, we just hustled and got it together. It's Sex and the City meets Sin City, a story about a singer who gets sent to Earth to save the world, because she has the key to unlock Earth's finest treasure. But there's a villain in all of this, and he wants to use her voice for the wrong purposes. So it's the battle between good and evil but with a sexy twist, because it's a girl who kicks ass and takes names—and looks sexy while doing it.

Way to put the "strip" back in comics! If you were a superhero, what would your powers be? We got dibs on x-ray vision.

I'd be able to listen in on people's thoughts and control those thoughts, to manipulate them to do whatever I wanted. Preferably men [laughs], because that shit's fun.

How would you exploit your main squeeze, Que of Day 26?

[Laughs] That answer's limitless. He'd be busy for a while. If a girl [says only] one thing, she's not smart.

Sounds like someone's got a dark streak.

That's kind of what Danity Kane [the comic] represents. It's like my alter ego, something that I've had since high school. I've always been introverted, but when I hit the stage or anything like that, I transform into a different person. No one will ever know that side—unless they're lucky enough to get it.

How does that duality play out in a relationship?

I'm the all-of-the-above chick, the chick that won the [high school] championship game in basketball, but also used to dance [for the New Orleans Hornets] in some short-shorts and a bra [laughs]. I'm the chick that a guy could watch Quite Frankly with on ESPN, but then I can give love, and I'm sensitive as well.

Now shooting your sixth season of Making the Band, you must be accustomed to the MTV cameras. Any chance you'd shoot a more private videos of the night-vision variety?

My mom would beat the hell out of me! I'd never do that, because I'm the good, sweet, wholesome girl. That's never something that I would release for everyone to see. That's not Dawn.

But your alter ego, perhaps?

What would be the fun if you can't keep secrets? [Laughs] I'm the best-kept secret, I promise!