Juliet

Juliet Richardson, identified solely by her given name, cultivated an ice-cool electro-pop aesthetic that crossed stylistic boundaries while absorbing elements from such disparate sources as My Bloody Valentine, Daft Punk, and Jeff Buckley. Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1980, she completed her studies at the Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ prior to leading the synth-pop group 1 Plus 1, whose polarizing techno reinterpretation of the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” achieved modest chart success during the early 2000s. Unhappy with the saccharine pop trajectory the project was pursuing, she adopted a shaved-head look, switched to black stage attire from pink, and renamed the band MNQNN, a move toward guitar-driven material that prompted their label to release them in 2003. The following year she secured an individual contract with Virgin and collaborated with Steve Sydelink, the former Madonna drummer, alongside sought-after electronic specialist Stuart Price on her first solo record, Random Order, which delivered a pair of Billboard Hot Dance Club chart-toppers—“Avalon” and “Ride the Pain”—upon its 2005 appearance. Her final credited performance came via the song “Do Something Love” featured on David Guetta’s Poplife album from 2007.