Whatever his songwriting chops–he wrote “Umbrella,” after all, meaning I can appreciate the skill even if left cold by the end results–I got fleeced buying a used copy of Lovehate, the debut album from Atlanta pop R&B radio killer The-Dream. Every other song is sunk by some of the most sophomoric baby-playa lyrics imaginable, embarrassing even when librettos crafted from horny teens’ text messages are sadly the rule. But one of the few songs on the record worth your .99–quite a bit more, actually–is “Living A Lie,” redeemed by the typically tart contributions from The-Dream’s key foil/muse, Rihanna.

The-Dream is cribbing a little from his own synth-riff fakebook here, but at least he’s forced to drop the “6:15 I be kicking her out” shtick for something a little more wistful and human(e). Given my affection for Rihanna duets, I might be overrating it a little, but if not an “Umbrella”-grade smash, it would certainly light up the dreary first-quarter singles market with a proper video.

The-Dream feat. Rihanna – “Living A Lie” [YouTube]