Love/Hate (The-Dream album)
| Love/Hate | ||||
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| Released | December 11, 2007 | |||
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| Length | 53:09 | |||
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| Singles from Love/Hate | ||||
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Love/Hate (rendered as Love Me All Summer, Hate Me All Winter on the front cover) is the debut
The-Dream pursued an electronic, avant-garde, and hook-oriented direction of soul on Love/Hate, drawing inspiration from the 1980s musical works of Prince and Michael Jackson as well as the rap forms of his native Atlanta. Recorded with fellow songwriter-producers Tricky Stewart and Carlos McKinney, the album employs synthesizer, keyboard, and percussion sounds on eccentrically arranged tracks sequenced in a suite-like manner. It also features guest appearances from rapper Fabolous and singer Rihanna, whose 2007 hit single "Umbrella" had been written by The-Dream and served as another template for the album. Themed mostly in sex, his quirky lyrics are falsetto-sung and half-rapped from the perspective of a lecherous romantic with self-awareness and moral sense.
Love/Hate was promoted with the release of three singles – "Shawty Is a 10", "Falsetto", and "I Luv Your Girl" – which became top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself charted at number 30 on the Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week in the US. It eventually reached 552,000 copies sold and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), proving a minor success with mainstream audiences. Acclaimed on release, Love/Hate is regarded by critics as an influential and definitive R&B album from its era as well as a guilty pleasure for its qualities of silliness and catchiness.
Background
Born Terius Nash in 1977, The-Dream grew up in Atlanta and learned to play musical instruments in elementary school before advancing to writing lyrics during high school. Several years later, he met songwriter-producer Laney Stewart who helped procure him a publishing contract, leading to successful songwriting efforts like Britney Spears' "Me Against the Music" (2003), among the many songs The-Dream would compose with Stewart's brother, fellow songwriter-producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. Alongside Tricky Stewart and mutual creative partner Carlos "Los Da Mystro" McKinney, The-Dream emerged as a songwriter-producer during the decade and helped popularize an electronic pop-R&B sound that followed a tradition pioneered by Prince, Kashif, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Timbaland and Missy Elliott, and the Neptunes.[1]
In 2007, The-Dream and Stewart achieved a commercial breakthrough by writing Rihanna's "Umbrella", which topped record charts in the US and abroad, becoming one of the era's most popular hit singles. Its success attracted songwriting offers from several record labels, including Rihanna's home-label Def Jam Recordings. While initially hesitant to sign The-Dream as a solo recording act, the label conceded after seeing his and McKinney's composition "Bed" (2007) become a hit single for Capitol Records singer J. Holiday.[1] The-Dream told Island Def Jam executive Karen Kwak about his intentions as a recording artist, particularly the style of singing he would pursue to be successful. "I sent her the record 'Bed' and she was like, 'Crazy!'", he recalls.[2]
Writing and recording
The-Dream told
The-Dream wrote much of the album based on his relationship with singer and then-wife Nivea.[3][nb 1] He credited her with inspiring more sincerity in his songwriting, "to open up that other side of it that connects with the everyday woman", as he told SOHH. "She has helped me a lot with that area."[3] Through his ambitions for the album, The-Dream wanted to provoke higher artistic standards in the music industry, telling SOHH:
Music is uninspiring right now. The bar needs to be raised; a creative standard should be set in music. I'm hoping that the real quality in these songs shines through, and leaves a sounding impact on the listeners... It's more of what I'm giving other people. It's like the '80s; it's musical. I'm doing the 'Umbrella' routine to this whole album. All of my records are singles. The album is really visual as well. It appeals to all your senses, similar to Thriller ... very 80's, very Prince, sensual, sexy stuff... Artists are gonna have to do some homework to find out who they are.[3]
Music and lyrics
On Love/Hate, The-Dream employs an ultramodern and hook-laden approach to contemporary soul with influences from past artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and R. Kelly.[4] Tracks on the album are sequenced in the manner of a suite with recurring musical elements;[7] the layered production throughout features spacious beats,[8] oscillating keyboards, throbbing synthesizers, and baroque elements such as synthesized strings and harpsichord sounds.[7] Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly characterizes The-Dream's electronic arrangements as "unorthodox",[9] while Slant Magazine's Wilson McBee finds him influenced by "Timbaland's space jams and Prince's gleeful synth lines".[10] In another analysis, AllMusic's Andy Kellman dubs Love/Hate "a post-Timbaland/post-Neptunes pop album" and "state-of-the art pop circa 2007–2008 [...] resolutely luminescent", with "rubbery" rhythms "sometimes colored by those swishing, panning effects heard in 'Bed' and its many imitators".[7] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times notes a "gooey, robotic '80s-influenced R&B" and writes that the album embodies "the ecstatic sound of pop radio in 2007".[11] According to Memphis Flyer journalist Chris Herrington, The-Dream blurs "any distinctions between mainstream and avant-garde" within the context of "black pop".[4]
Lyrically, the songs are composed from the perspective of a lecherous romantic, with attitudes alternately boastful and vulnerable.[7] Drew Hinshaw of PopMatters observes that The-Dream "engages in the same brand of improvident hedonism" as his contemporaries – "snatching [women] from their long-term relationships, cheating indiscriminately, brandishing dollars and the things they buy". However, the singer also demonstrates moral sense, according to Hinshaw, who says "his nagging conscience and his ear for tragedy" come to the forefront of the songs.[8] USA Today's Steve Jones observes a degree of subtlety in The-Dream's sexual suggestions.[12] Vocally, his phrasing is characterized by extended syllables, falsetto frequencies,[13] semi-rapped melodies,[14] and sung refrains of "ella" and "eh" in the manner of "Umbrella".[15][16] The-Dream repurposed the "Umbrella" refrains throughout the album to serve as a signature of "notoriety" for listeners to associate with him.[17][nb 2] Sean Fennessey of Vibe characterizes his songwriting as "quirky" and adds that he channels "Prince at his vampy peak, and Bobby Brown, who always led with an assured growl".[15] In summarizing The-Dream's lyrical persona on the album, Robert Christgau muses:
True, he pursues other's girls, leaves one shawty because she's not quick enough on the get-down, and moves on to the speedier, needier Nikki when another doesn't immediately accept his tender offer. But mostly he just enjoys himself in bed and makes pop in the studio. In 'Luv Songs,' he does both simultaneously.[13]
Marketing and sales
Around the time of "Bed"'s release, The-Dream debuted on Def Jam with the single release of "Shawty Is da Shit" (also censored as "Shawty Is a 10"). "Falsetto" was released soon after as his next single, followed by "I Luv Your Girl", the last of Love/Hate's singles.
In the August 2007 interview for SOHH, The-Dream revealed the title Love/Hate as an abbreviation for "love me all summer, hate me all winter", explaining that "because they love you when you hot and when you're cold they don't ... I'm hot right now and they love me, but I was cold and they wasn't fuckin' with me."[3] The album cover was revealed to Rap-Up on November 14, featuring the full title.[20] Years later, The-Dream elaborated further on the title, saying it had been based on the "in's and out's of life", positive and negative qualities in people, and "how everything [relates] to a carnival."[21]
Love/Hate debuted at number 30 on the
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [7] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[9] |
| MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | A−[13] |
| The New Zealand Herald | 4/5[16] |
| Pitchfork | 9.1/10[14] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone |   [28] |
| Slant Magazine | [10] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5[29] |
| USA Today | [12] |
Love/Hate was met with critical acclaim.[30] Reviewing for AllMusic, Kellman applauded its "unified sound" as one "unlike most modern R&B albums", before adding that neither Timbaland nor the Neptunes have "put together something as consistent or tautly constructed, simultaneously single-oriented and album-oriented, as this".[7] Fennessey, writing in Vibe, believed the album "never breaks stride, balancing pace with power",[15] while Rolling Stone magazine's Christian Hoard called it "one of the most likeable R&B records of the year" because of The-Dream's instinct for composing melodies.[28] Drew Hinshaw from PopMatters found his lyrics empathic and credited him for possessing "something few hitmakers can claim: a wide-angle lens".[8] Christgau, in his review for MSN Music, called Love/Hate "an utterly slight, utterly captivating R&B album" constructed from The-Dream's "extended-syllable trick, dollops of falsetto, male backups going hey and stuff, and the good nature of someone who figures there's no point being mean when you're lucky".[13]
Some reviewers had reservations. McBee wrote in Slant Magazine that there are moments of "greatness and plenty of potential" along with "some riskless, by-the-book slow jams" from The-Dream, who nonetheless shows "a meticulous, consistent sonic arrangement".[10] Rebecca Barry Hill of The New Zealand Herald considered the "Umbrella"-style vocal refrains and various references to sex partners a running gag throughout the album, while musing that The-Dream's "closest relationship is with his synthesizers", questioning to what degree the vocals of the album were electronically processed. However, she remained impressed by the quality and interest level of the production, praising "Falsetto" and "Ditch That..." in particular, before conceding that Love/Hate is a guilty pleasure.[16]
Legacy and influence
The-Dream felt disappointed in Love/Hate's minor success with mainstream audiences, particularly its lack of nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009.[24] Writing in May that year, Christgau observed how the album had "yielded R&B hits [and] went Gold", but "failed to make him as ubiquitous as Akon", his contemporary in the genre.[31] According to The New York Times reporter Melissa Maerz, The-Dream was "one of pop's most reliable hit makers" but "not yet a pop star", and had also been "criticized for an uncharismatic stage presence". Attributing this outcome to marketing, The-Dream pursued a greater crossover strategy with his second album Love vs. Money (2009), which was written during his divorce from Nivea and explored the depreciating effect of wealth on relationships through confessional and emotionally-charged narratives, alongside guest appearances by high-profile vocalists in Mariah Carey, Kanye West, and Lil Jon.[24]
According to Kellman, Love/Hate was the first in The-Dream's series of "melodically rich and impeccably layered" hit-R&B albums that would include Love vs. Money and
Love/Hate proved highly innovative in its fusion of traditional R&B and Atlanta-based rap forms and attitudes. Pitchfork journalist Meaghan Garvey says it was "a defining moment for the collision of rap and R&B, a pillar of technical songwriting and soulful expression" whose influence "bled into the fabric of popular R&B".[14] In a 2012 review, Sputnikmusic staff writer Trebor proclaims Love/Hate "the best pop/R&B album of the 21st century" and distinct from other works in the genre for demonstrating a self-awareness amidst the silly narratives and profusion of catchy sounds, leading him to also call it "the definition of a guilty pleasure".[29] Reflecting on its 10th anniversary in 2017, Billboard's Da'Shan Smith points to the album as "the chapter closer for a landmark year, which saw hip-hop and R&B formulating into the sound and culture that we know it as today".[21]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, except track 1 (Nash and John Jackson)
| No. | Title | Music | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shawty Is da Shit" (featuring Fabolous) |
| 4:22 | |
| 2. | "I Luv Your Girl" |
| 4:27 | |
| 3. | "Fast Car" |
|
| 4:50 |
| 4. | "Nikki" |
|
| 4:05 |
| 5. | "She Needs My Love" |
|
| 4:29 |
| 6. | "Falsetto" |
|
| 4:31 |
| 7. | "Playin' in Her Hair" |
|
| 3:14 |
| 8. | "Purple Kisses" |
|
| 5:13 |
| 9. | "Ditch That..." |
|
| 5:00 |
| 10. | "Luv Songs" |
|
| 4:42 |
| 11. | "Livin' a Lie" (featuring Rihanna) |
|
| 4:16 |
| 12. | "Mama" |
|
| 4:01 |
Personnel
Information is taken from the album credits.[5]
- Chris Athens – mastering
- Dianella Barahona – backing vocals (track 7)
- Fabolous – vocals (track 1)
- Mark "Exit" Goodchild – additional recording (track 9), editing (tracks 4–10, 12)
- Mark Gray – assisted recording (tracks 3, 8)
- Jayson Joshua – mixing (tracks 2–12)
- Ray Kay – photography
- Silena King-Murrell – backing vocals (track 1)
- Manny Marroquin – mixing (track 1)
- Carlos "L.O.S." McKinney – additional keyboards (track 5), music composition (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8, 10), production (1, 3, 7, 8, 10), writing (1, 3, 7, 8, 10)
- Julio Miranda – acoustic guitar (track 6), guitar (3, 10), solos (6)
- Sameen Naqvi – backing vocals (track 7)
- Terius "The-Dream" Nash – album direction, art direction, design, lyrics, melodic composition, production, styling, vocal arrangement, vocal production, vocals, writing
- Scott Naughton – recording (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8, 10)
- Alec Newell – recording (tracks 5, 6)
- Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – recording (tracks 2–12)
- Dave Pensado – mixing (tracks 2–12)
- Justin Pintar – assisted mixing (tracks 2–12)
- Antonio "LA" Reid – executive production
- Omar Reyna – additional recording (track 9)
- Rihanna – vocals (track 11)
- JP Robinson – art direction, design
- Sarah Rodriguez – backing and spoken vocals (track 9)
- Angie Romasanta – backing vocals (tracks 7, 8)
- Christopher "Tricky" Stewart – album direction, music composition (tracks 2, 4–6, 9, 11, 12), production (2, 4–6, 9, 11, 12), writing (2, 4–6, 9, 11, 12)
- Brian "B Luv" Thomas – engineering (track 11)
- Alex Venquer – vocal recording (track 1: Fabolous)
- Veronica Whitehead – backing vocals (track 7)
- Andrew Wuepper – assisted mixing (track 2–12)
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[32] | 30 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[33] | 5 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[34] | 84 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[35] | 14 |
Certification
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
Notes
- ^ Nivea confirmed in December 2007 that she and The-Dream were divorcing after rumors of a potential divorce reportedly circulated shortly prior.[6]
- ^ The-Dream elaborated further to Jet in 2008, saying, "I tried to draw those lines from each record, to each other so that everybody else knows 'he did this record.' It took people a long time; even now, when I say I wrote this record and that record, they think that either J. Holiday is copying off Rihanna or I'm copying off J. Holiday and Rihanna. Then it takes them a while to say, 'Oh no, he wrote all those records.'"[17]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Kellman, Andy (n.d.). "The-Dream – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel (August 7, 2007). "Umbrella' Writer The-Dream Preps Solo Debut". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Bolden, Janeé (August 7, 2007). "SOHH Soulful Exclusive: Def Jam's New Signee, The Dream, on Track to Become the Next Ne-Yo". SOHH. Archived from the original on August 13, 2007. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Herrington, Chris (June 11, 2009). "Dream's Life". Memphis Flyer. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Love/Hate (CD booklet). The-Dream. Radio Killa Records and Def Jam Recordings. 2007. B0009872-02.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Sam (December 10, 2007). "The Dream & Nivea to Divorce". That Grape Juice. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Kellman, Andy. "Love/Hate – The-Dream". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Hinshaw, Drew (April 7, 2008). "The-Dream: Love/Hate". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b Vozick-Levinson, Simon (December 7, 2007). "Love Hate". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c McBee, Wilson (December 27, 2007). "The-Dream: Love/Hate". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa. "Few Big Albums, but Small Ones Sounded Just Fine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Jones, Steve (December 10, 2007). "This week's reviews: Hip-hop holds a monopoly - Listen Up". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Christgau, Robert (February 2008). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c Garvey, Meaghan (January 21, 2018). "The-Dream: Love/Hate". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c Fennessey, Sean (February 2008). "The-Dream – Love/Hate (Def Jam)". Vibe. p. 85. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Hill, Rebecca Barry (March 8, 2008). "The Dream: Love/Hate". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Melody K. (March 31, 2008). "The-Dream: Singer 'Wrote All Those' Hit Songs for Hot Stars". Jet. p. 46. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The-Dream Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Anon. (January 8, 2014). "The-Dream Says Goodbye to Def Jam Records". MTV News. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Anon. (November 14, 2007). "New Album Covers: The-Dream and Ghostface Killah". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Smith, Da'Shan (December 11, 2017). "The-Dream Breaks Down Debut Album 'Love Hate' for 10-Year Anniversary". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Hasty, Katie (December 17, 2007). "Groban Remains No. 1, Becomes '07's Best-Seller". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel (May 5, 2009). "The-Dream, Keyshia Cole Plan Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c Maerz, Melissa (March 4, 2009). "Not Content Just to Write the Hits". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Anon. (February 17, 2009). "The-Dream Completes Second Album, Love vs. Money, Set for March 10th Release on Radio Killa/Def Jam". Houston Style Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Anon. (July 3, 2020). "Release of the Week: Love Story – The-Dream Completes Album Trilogy with 'Love King'". Billboard. Vol. 122, no. 26. p. 11. Retrieved June 26, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – The-Dream – LoveHate". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Hoard, Christian (January 24, 2008). "The-Dream: Lovehate". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- ^ a b Trebor (October 16, 2012). "Review: The-Dream – Love Hate". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Hova, Tray (June 6, 2011). "The-Dream Hints at Double-Single Dropping Tomorrow; Prepares 'Nikki: The Chronicles' Book". Vibe. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (May 2009). "The-Dream: Love vs. Money". Blender. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "The-Dream Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ "The-Dream Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
Further reading
- Phillips, Yoh (May 12, 2015). "The-Dream and the Ignored Art of Album Sequencing". DJBooth. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- Phillips, Yoh (September 18, 2018). "An Ode to The-Dream, the Radio Killa". DJBooth. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.