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Download: The-Dream's Free Album, '1977'

8:10 a.m. · August 31, 2011 · by Andrew Martin

Faced with frequent delays of his planned new album The Love, IV (Diary Of A Mad Man), The-Dream essentially threw his hands up in the air and said, "Fuck it, I'm going to release a record on my own terms." And that's exactly what he's doing with 1977, a free album dedicated to everyone who has continued supporting him during the arduous negotiations to get The Love, IV out there.

He's also making his debut under his government name, Terius Nash, with the release of 1977, an album he admitted is a very personal one. We already heard touches of that extra-personal approach yesterday when he leaked one last tune, moving opener "Wake Me When It's Over." Beyond being a killer track, "Wake Me When It's Over" also proved that 1977 isn't some kind of half-assed holdover project.

From what we have heard, dude really did put his all into this one and continues his streak of dropping impressive material from the jump. The-Dream has consistently shown that he is one of today's top R&B songwriters and 1977 only further cements that notion. Maybe once the folks at Def Jam see how well this does (in terms of buzz and downloads), they'll decide to stop dragging their feet on The Love, IV, which is tentatively due out toward the end of this year.

You can download 1977 directly here and stream opening cut "Wake Me When It's Over" below.