In an hour or so on a conference call, The-Dream will debut a third track from his upcoming fourth LP, IV Play, out May 28th via his Radio Killa Def Jam imprint. Titled "High Art," its a clattering, boys night out Jay-Z collaboration with this chorus: I make love to my girl and I get high with my niggas. Fun for its display of pure testosterone, the song is by no means the album's most exciting turn—there's a heavy duet with Kelly Rowland ("Where Have You Been"), nasty ode to fighting before makeup sex ("Too Early in the Morning") and a "Pony" revamp ("Equestrian"). IV Play was also meant to feature a duet with Beyoncé called "Fi (Fire)" but won't, because a Culture Club sample could not be cleared.
"Country" and boning-empowered, The-Dream is a longtime muse to Beyoncé and vice versa, since the two joined forces on 2008's I Am...Sasha Fierce. It's well known that The-Dream wrote some of her biggest hits—"Single Ladies," "Run the World (Girls)"—along with some of the past decade's biggest hits, like Justin Bieber's "Baby" and Rihanna's "Umbrella," which he recently boasted he could write again in just five minutes. To celebrate IV Play's imminence, which over the course of so many delays and label woes once seemed so unsure, here's a survey of lesser-remembered gems penned by The-Dream; for former wife Nivea, Jamie Foxx, B2K and J. Holiday. Pay close attention to Elektrik Red's never-stale sex jam "Freaky Freaky" and Mariah Carey's "Up Out My Face." Carey and Nash share a hushed and high speaking voice and, of all Nash's collaborators, Mariah's powerful soprano seems to really nail the sweet and sour way he'd want his words sung.
Staff Selects Playlist: Foreplay 4 IV Play
