1. Shawty Is The Shit----great way to kick off this album, a simplistic rhythm, but the lyrics and refrain are tough not to sing along with after awhile, this one's been getting burn over here since the end of August 5/5
2. I Love Your Girl---probably the best song on the album, a catchy snap style beat and a hilarious story of stealing someone's girlfriend and openly mocking them after, another song that will get stuck in your head inevitably 5/5
3. Fast Car---this one has more of an 80's feeling to it, it almost sounds like something that would play in the montage scenes of a John Hughes movie.....the whole song is yet another r&b song that compares women to cars, but builds to the hook very well and is also very catchy, it's just as good as the first two songs 5/5
4. Nikki---a slow burning, bass heavy song that lays out the story for this song and the next one after it......The Dream tells the story of a new woman named Nikki who has made him forget all about his old love interest......it comes across like a mix of something Usher or Justin Timberlake would do, the production is fantasic 5/5
5. She Needs My Love---this is the song that finishes the progression, as it fades in from the "Nikki" track, keeping only a Timbaland-esque bass line, building into yet another refrain that will worm its way into your subconscious 5/5
6. Falsetto---another song that people should have already heard....The Dream intended for this to be a progression from "Shawty Is The Shit".....he delivers the beginning lyrics with more of a rapping style, and then builds into the more romantic portion of the song, it does a good job of using hip-hop elements in quality r&b 5/5
7. Playin' In Her Hair---a very light, breezy rhythm, something you would listen to in the summertime, this is when the album becomes more obviously a Prince homage, which isn't necessarily a bad thing......another simplistic refrain that serves the song well 5/5
8. Purple Kisses---the album's most obvious Prince giveaway, it even features an anonymous talking female at the beginning, it sounds like a distant cousin to 'Bed' by J. Holiday, which The Dream also wrote and produced......the lyrics are also in the vein of Prince 5/5
9. Ditch That----The Dream completely ditches his momentum and makes a very hip-hop track, which he begins by referencing his contribution to Rihanna's "Umbrella"......the beat is reminiscent of something Meth & Red would have used, and it's out of place after the last 3 tracks, it feels like it should be further towards the end of the album 4/5
10. Love Songs---one of the slower and sappier songs on the album, The Dream compares him and his lady's lovemaking to making actual love songs over another slow, bottom heavy track, other than the repetitive 808 chant, it's just as good as the first 8 songs 4.5/5
11. Livin' A Lie f/ Rihanna---a fast paced duet that seems like it was made to be all over Top 40 radio, i can already smell a splitscreen video and the whole nine yards......it's not as good as the rest of the album for the simple fact that Rihanna has no business being on the track, he could have used Keri Hilson just as easily or someone like her, it's one of those songs that sounds like it should have been made for someone else 3/5
12. Mama---the requisite album ending somber song about mom.....it uses a very cliche sounding rhythm and The Dream sings most of the song using the T-Pain vocoder box, a very lackluster ending to the album, but not an entirely worthless song 2/5
Rating=9/10
If this album could have sustained the momentum it builds up through the first 8, or even 10, tracks, it would go down as classic, but otherwise, it's easily one of the best R&B albums to come out in '07.......definitely worth a look, especially if you don't mind some hip-hop elements mixed with your R&B
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