Idolator

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. More »