Sleeping on The-Dream? 10 songs that prove the Radio Killa is a musical genius

Terius “The-Dream” Nash has created megahits for a long list of artists and released a collection of high-quality solo albums — his fifth album “IV Play” dropped this week — but there are still an alarming number of people sleeping on his talent. I recently heard someone describe him as a more sophisticated version of (gasp!) T-Pain. After recovering consciousness, I decided to write this article.

The thing is, I too was guilty of sleeping on The-Dream. For awhile I thought he was just another generic R&B cat with a mild sex obsession and a mean falsetto. Sort of like a slightly stockier Trey Songz. Then I listened to the first song on this list and realized that all of the assumptions I’d made about him were completely wrong. I delved deeper into his catalogue and discovered that while The-Dream may not possess the vocal stylings of, say, Teddy Pendergrass, he’s nonetheless a musical genius — a multi-instrumentalist and storytelling savant who regularly crafts complex, undeniably catchy compositions.  There are reasons why Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye West all have The-Dream on speed dial. I’ve compiled 10 of them below:

Love vs. Money Pt. 2

For me, this was the song that changed everything. When I heard this chorus, I knew The-Dream listened to classical music, and during an interview with him a year or two later, I found out it’s his favorite genre. The layers of tension and drama and the sheer number of moving parts in this song combined with the message are light years beyond anything anyone is doing in modern R&B.

Fancy

No run-through of The-Dream’s catalogue would be complete without “Fancy,” arguably the best R&B song of the past 10 years. This is six-plus minutes of sheer beauty. This song lends the feel of a whirlwind vacation through Europe with an undercurrent of sadness and longing. The final chorus and the two-minute interlude to close out the track are genius.

Nikki

Again, The-Dream masters drama with this kiss-off to a former lover atop an elastic beat. Sorry, ex-girlfriend who left him for a guy who claimed The-Dream was cheating, but he’s doesn’t feel bad and nah, he ain’t sad, ’cause he’s been making love to Nikki. Side note: If you own the album “Love/Hate,” listen to the transition from “Fast Car” to “Nikki.” Brilliance.

She Needs My Love

This is another stellar cut off “Love/Hate” with a compelling story and a stunning chorus. The wave of synths and harmonies as The-Dream announces a lover might die without him could very well change your life.

Up Out My Face – Mariah Carey

Music is fun again! The-Dream (along with frequent partner in crime Tricky Stewart) produced the majority of Mimi’s “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” album and proved that virtually everything he touches turns to gold. Or platinum. I could have included any number of cuts from that album, and “Obsessed” definitely gets an honorable mention, but I chose this one because it demonstrates not just what The-Dream can do musically, but the way he’s able to draw artists out of their shells and get them to explore sides of themselves they normally suppress. In this case, Mariah gets silly, borderline ridiculous and incredibly charming.

Dirty Laundry – Kelly Rowland

For the first time in her solo career, former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland opens up about being jealous of Beyonce and suffering through an abusive relationship. This is yet another example of how The-Dream helps artists to tap into parts of themselves they normally avoid and take musical risks that pay off.

Umbrella – Rihanna

Though Tricky Stewart gets most of the production credit here, The-Dream wrote what would become one of Rihanna’s biggest hits. “Umbrella” represented a new direction for RiRi after island-tinged tracks like “Pon de Replay” and “SOS.” It was the lead single off her third album, “Good Girl Gone Bad,” and it was an enormous success, spending several weeks at No. 1 and winning Grammy Awards, not to mention taking up residence in our collective consciousness for months. We’ve heard this song so many times we probably take it for granted, but it’s a prime example of The-Dream’s ability to create a compelling story for a pop song.

High Price – Ciara

This track has a heavy chopped and screwed influence, a sinewy synth line and opera-like vocal tactics from Ciara. The production is undeniably catchy, and the wacky vocal elements are another example of The-Dream pushing artists to make unusual, oddly compelling choices.

Mine – Ace Hood

This is probably the only time you will ever see Ace Hood on a list in which I discuss amazing music. An addictive beat and chorus almost ensure that you almost don’t notice young Ace rhyming “handle” with “weather” and other assorted lyrical missteps. Almost. If you can mute Ace Hood’s verses — or better yet, find an instrumental track — all the better to bask in the glory of Terius Nash.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) – Beyonce

Saving the best for last, “Single Ladies” is the most obvious example of The-Dream’s (and Tricky Stewart’s) next-level skills. The ultimate ladies anthem has an incredibly innovative musical track with a Nine Inch Nails-meets-R&B feel. This was inescapable in 2008, won multiple Grammys and represented the ultimate in fierceness.

I could have included many more songs here, but I think these 10 demonstrate the breadth and depth of The-Dream’s work and his musical prowess. Yes, he is the Radio Killa, but his radio hits are only the beginning of the story.

What songs would you add to this list? Sound off in the comments.