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Hear Dionne sing acapellaDionne Rakeem has burst onto the UK music scene with her new cut 'Sweeter Than Wine'. Radio 1 caught up with the girl from the Midlands and talked songwriting, dreaming and taking battery operated devices to bed!
Apparently you make up songs when you're asleep...
I get songs from my visions, I usually dream them the night before. I take a battery operated device to bed with me, this is a Dictaphone! I wake up in the morning, I get all my ideas and melodies together, then I'll put them on the Dictaphone. Then I write a nice hook and a melody to piece a song together and that's how my songs come about.
So when you dream, do you see words or images?
It's usually me singing something myself. I'm singing something that sounds catchy, and then I'll put that down and that's how the song comes about.
When you dreamt about 'Sweeter than Wine' what was the image that came into your head?
I didn't dream that - that was reality! I met someone at a function and we got talking and he wanted me to come back to his place, and I said "Well, I might get hungry in the morning, so what have you got for me to eat?" So he said "Well, I've got nothing in my cupboards or fridge but my lips taste sweeter than wine".
And did he pull you with that line?
Oh, definitely (laughs).
How do you feel about the great reaction you've been getting to the song?
It's nice to get reactions and responses from the crowd, but it's been a lot of hard work and a lot of positive energy has gone into it. So I suppose that's how it all comes about and it's all paid off.
So do you get women coming up to you and singing it?
Yeah women sing it and the most astonishing thing that I do see is couples kissing in the crowd when I'm at a performance, that's really nice. I think it's a ladies song, the ladies sing it more to the guys. If I put the mic in the crowd they'll sing it more, if I put it to a guy a guy will just 'urgh', hasn't got anything to say in a sense.
Are we gonna see an album from you?
Hopefully. We want to see how well this one's gonna go. Hopefully second single will come out next and then an album will follow.
Can you tell us what the second single is going to be?
I'm not sure but I can sing a little bit of something if you like...(sings a sample)
How do you feel about Dave Pearce recommending you then?
I really love the support that everyone at Radio 1 has given me, especially Dave Pearce. Thank you so much Dave! It's been really good.
By Derren Lawford
