 Goldenheart has an eccentric , dreamy musical style that incorporates spare , reverberating beats , icy synthesizers , and dream pop textures . Allmusic 's Andy Kellman characterizes its music as " largely pop @-@ oriented contemporary R & B " , while Jesse Cataldo from Slant Magazine finds it to be " aligned with an intensifying style of alternative R & B ... in which albums are intricately structured and thematic . " Marcus Holmlund of Interview observes an " atmospheric aesthetic " that blends " alternative listens like Björk and Imogen Heap with 80s pop ( à la Phil Collins and Prince ) " . Richard , who grew up listening to Collins , Prince , Genesis , Cyndi Lauper , and Peter Gabriel , cites the song " ' 86 " as most exemplary of those influences on the album . Goldenheart also draws heavily on dance music . Its melodic urban contemporary sound incorporates elements of electro , house , and European dance @-@ pop . The ambient , 2 @-@ step " In Your Eyes " and " Riot " both have euphoric house climaxes . " Pretty Wicked Things " features an industrialized , dubstep production , with jerky basslines and pitch @-@ shifted vocals . 
