"I've been absolutely blown away [by some of the remixes]," she says. "When I started, I was one of the first artists to actually re-sing my vocals for some of the remixes."

"I even use some of the remixes when I perform live," she adds. "They're amazing, fantastic. I'm always flabbergasted."

And for a woman who's enjoyed two sold-out world tours, it's a high compliment to hear that her club fans are among her favorite live crowds. "They've been incredibly loyal, fabulous, strong and opinionated," she says. "It's one of the most incredible audiences to perform for. I absolutely feel that [special] connection."

Though Satisfied focuses mainly on her repertoire of soul, R&B, and high-drama balladry, Dayne hopes that connection will continue to flourish in the excitement around her latest release. After all, she had to work hard to make it happen.

"The music industry has changed dramatically," says Dayne. While she has continued to release those intermittent singles throughout the years, Satisfied marks her first appearance on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart since 1993's Soul Dancing. That she was able to crack the increasingly competitive list at all is a testament to her talent.

But in 2008, talent alone isn't all that it takes.

 "I'd be thrilled if I could put out a record every two years, tour it, and sell a million records in this climate," says Dayne. "But it's not as simple as it seems."

Indeed, the music industry has become increasingly inhospitable to artists in recent years, even to established icons. Major record labels are folding (Dayne released Satisfied on her own independent), radio has become the homogenous terrain of corporate monopolies, file-sharing has all but destroyed intellectual property, and sex videos – not music videos – are the new form of self promotion.

"Nobody's breaking down the door to give you a deal," says Dayne. But at last, she says, all the pieces fell into place for a new release. "All the ducks were in a row… all the elements finally came together: the songs, the great team, the funding."

Satisfied certainly brings the goods, a soulful collection of earnest, heartfelt grooves. From the swaying, bossa nova beat of "She Don't Love You" to the light, mo-town touch of "My Heart Can't Change," it's an album worth its weight (and wait) in classic Dayne material.

Armed with a fistful of diverse covers, not all of the material on Satisfied is original Dayne. But with her passionate melisma and delivery, she makes them her own and delivers fabulous interpretations of  Des'ree's "Kissing You" , the Rolling Stones' "Fool to Try" and best of all, Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge."

The latter is a fine example of Dayne's wide taste and adventurous spirit. "I sing a lot of material quite believably," says Dayne. "But it's a matter of what's going to stretch me."

"I also like gender crossing, in terms of material," says Dayne of the song made famous by Anthony Kiedis. "When I hear that song [Under the Bridge], I feel like it relates to so many people. I know it's about a journey for him [Kiedis] and his substance abuse, but it goes deeper than that… it works on so many levels."

And as per usual, Dayne's music will continue to resonate on many levels. Though Satisfied isn't a full-on dance album, "Beautiful" is only the first of several singles that will be stirred and served up for her rabid clubs fans.

She knows that her connection to the club crowd has been a cornerstone of her career.

"I've had some wonderful moments," says Dayne. "But I'm still creating new ones. I don't know if there's any one moment that people will remember about me, the way they remember the first time Michael Jackson did the moonwalk, or whatever the hell that was." She laughs.

"But people will remember the feeling they get when my music comes on."

Fair enough, and it's a feeling best described with one word:

Satisfied.

TRIVIA:

Rock the Vote! The Primaries are upon us, and Taylor has her own choice for the next President: she wants to see Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Oval Office. (Hey Taylor… so do we!!)

Dayne was the subject of the VH1 reality show Re-making. It co-starred one of her best friends: actress Leah Remini ("King of Queens")

Great icons think alike. Like last month's DIVA of the month (Deborah Cox), Taylor Dayne also played a starring role in the Broadway musical "Aida."

Notice a recurring, romantic theme? Out of 20 singles to date, almost half (9) have contained some variation of "heart" or "love" in their title. That's amore!

While she loves many of the dance remixes of her work, Dayne mentions one particular favorite: the #3 club hit "I'll Wait."

Taylor Dayne on…

… whether she considers herself a DIVA.

"If we look in the dictionary, at what the term diva means, it means something a hell of a lot different than the assumption or interpretation of those who use it so flippantly. But at the same time, it's a word associated with a powerful woman, a woman who has a very powerful direction and is an independent thinker. Then, of course, there's [the element of] bad behavior. So… I don't know! We'll just to think about that and I'll get back to you. But it's very poignant, don't you think?"

… how she's developed as an artist over the course of her career.

"I've certainly gotten a lit smarter, or at least more knowledgeable in the business. Sometimes you just feel dumber, because it's changed so dramatically, and you say ‘what's the difference, anyway?' [laughs]. But there's always a period of growth,  a desire to keep challenging yourself… there's always another great producer that you want to work with. That's the best part of being an artist: stepping up to the challenge. I still like that. I still enjoy the process of creating a song; the magic of writing a great song and singing a great song. When I was in the studio making this record, I felt that magic numerous times."

… being Satisfied.

"I would hope one is never truly satisfied on some levels. At the same time, what I tried to achieve with this record is whatever my level of perfection is. I tried to show the levels of where I am, what I've experienced, and who I am today as an artist. I'm satisfied enough, does that make sense? The direction of the record, I think, is obviously guided by love: unrequited love, love undelivered, graceful love, love inspired by what's outside of oneself as opposed to what's inside oneself. It's about that kind of journey. There are questions that come out of it. When I say "Satisfied," there's a question mark after that, sometimes."

... the pop potential of dance music.

"It's always start with a song. Don't kid yourself, it does. Listen to Rihanna right now, or any of those girls. Gwen Stefani did nothing less than that [dance music] on her last records. Madonna knows it well.  But you have to have the song. You can't just put beats underneath something. The song has to rise above."