Over the weekend, The-Dream liberated his latest project Sextape 4, which follows the previous three installments released as a set — titled Ménage à Trois — back in 2018. He explained the theme of the project, which seems to reach back to other R&B stylings from the 90’s (via Apple Music):
“It’s about the banter between two people and the things that come up. Even though you might be making love to your girl or your guy, there are things that come up even before those intimate moments, and how you feel about an intimate moment can change… All of those little nuances—on the surface, it’s like, ‘Oh, cool, they’re f***ing, great,’ but I try to always inject some type of sophistication into it. A relationship is built on so many levels, and through the days or years, you can experience a person differently. This fourth is more locked in to The-Dream mechanism of those tricky things and those eloquent moments.”
In addition to the 13-track release, The-Dream also liberated a new visuals for the self-produced album cut “Passion,” which sees him keeping it real about a lover and her ex:
“…That’s why I f*** you like I mean it, your ex held you soft, but that n***a kept leavin’, didn’t he?/
He ran off with a, ha, never mind, lean into me/
That was love with all action, you said he lacked the passion, and you notice, so why so you sittin’ here askin’…/”
The accompanying clip keeps things simple, mixing footage of The-Dream and some eye candy in the style of a sexy and cool home recording. Interspersed with shots of the city and various confirmations of wealth, it’s a perfect match to the song’s adult vibe and subject matter.
The-Dream was also one of the many who participated in the Swizz Beatz and Timbaland-led “Verzuz” battles on Instagram live. A few weeks ago, the multi-talent went up against singer-songwriter Sean “The Pen” Garrett in what might’ve been one of the more entertaining match-ups to date.
You can press play on “Passion” below. If you missed it, you can enjoy Sextape 4 here.