Lovehate

Released at the tail end of 2007, Lovehate capped a year in which The-Dream was responsible for the biggest song in the world, Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Written in twelve minutes flat, “Umbrella” came out of nowhere to become a colossal success, and when Def Jam requested to rush-release a solo debut, The-Dream was up to the challenge. In keeping with his efficient working streak, he delivered Lovehate in just nine days, thus avoiding the "too much time to gestate in the studio to overwork and overproduce" disease, delivering instead songs like “I Luv Your Girl,” “Fast Car,” and “Luv Songs” that float on air. As was the case for The-Dream's primary influence — Prince — being in the studio seems to be as much fun as it is work. “Shawty Is the Sh*!,” “Purple Kisses,” and the R. Kelly-esque “Falsetto” are all about imaginative production and clever song design — they manage to sound futuristic and retro at the same time. In an era where hype is instantaneous and trends change in the time it takes to load a webpage, Lovehate is still a few steps ahead.