“Umbrella” Writer Obsessed With Carrie Underwood?

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Rihanna‘s summer hit, “Umbrella.” It’s so catchy that I hate when I hear it because I cannot stop singing it all day! Anyway, the man behind the song has his own obsession: Carrie Underwood! PLUS – he mentions Jordin Sparks! Read this interview:

Singer-songwriter Terius “The Dream” Nash is on something of a roll. He’s responsible for writing two of this year’s most unavoidable smashes — Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and J. Holiday’s “Bed” — and now the Atlanta-based Billboard buster is prepping his own solo album for Def Jam. His debut single, “Shawty Is the Shit,” is one of our favorite songs of the year with its effortless, R. Kelly-style beat and hint of wrenching regret (watch the video below). We talked to the hitmaker last week about his forthcoming LP, Love Hate (out Oct. 16), working with Jay-Z and his favorite American Idol.

Blender: Are you completely finished with your solo album?
The Dream: I’m done. We’re picking artwork pictures right now. I have my hands in everything — it’s in my contract. I’m very intense when it comes to how I’m viewed artistically, not only in music but in pictures or the font my name’s in.

B: What do you look for in a font?
D: Classiness. Making sure that you can’t look at it next year and say, “Uh, that was pretty corny.” You want somebody to go back and look at your album cover and go “wow.” It’s kinda like a Pink Floyd thing. Look at the t-shirts they sell now just based off the artwork.

B: Do you have a favorite Pink Floyd album cover?
D: The one that has the pyramid with all the colors coming out of it, Dark Side of the Moon. I liked the one on Coldplay’s last album, very simple but real artsy.

B: We imagine you could pull in a lot of favors for your album, are there tons of guests on it?
D: Fabolous is on “Shawty Is the Shit” now. I have Rihanna, of course. Jay’s probably going to make his way on there. Those are the only three as of right now.

B: What’s Jay’s style as a boss?
D: Jay’s concerned with the songs. Like we talked about a recent hit song I gave away [to another label], J. Holiday’s “Bed,” and how he wants to make sure that never happens in the future. So every song I cut now he has to hear first.

B: Is the album going to sound like your recent stuff?
D: It’s going to be a cross between “Umbrella” and “Bed.” It’s very musical. We got ourselves into this thing now — especially on the urban side — where we’re not developing the songs like we should be. My album has stupid harmonies on it.

B: We read you might be working with an American Idol …
D: That’s probably happening. I just got an e-mail from a guy for Jordin Sparks. Several American Idols have called about songs.

B: Do you watch the show?
D: I really just wait until it gets down to the finals to watch. Usually I’m kinda thrown off by some of the picks, I get irritated by some of the people.

B: Like who?
D: I’m not into squashing anybody’s dream.

B: It’s Blake, isn’t it?
D: Um … I don’t know who that is. [laughs]

B: Who’s your favorite person to come from American Idol?
D: Right now it’s Carrie Underwood because the song “Before He Cheats.” I love that freakin’ record.

B: “Before He Cheats” is similar thematically to the song you did with Rihanna, “Breakin’ Dishes” — a girl taking her anger out on her boyfriend in a spectacular way. Is it hard for you to flip genders while songwriting?
D: I think I know a lot about women. When you’re on the opposite side you actually should. You know what pisses your girl off. You know what’s gonna happen if you stay out too late. But guys still do it.

B: Do you remember a specific time when you pissed off your girlfriend?
D: A girl scratched up my car once. You know when you’re young and you don’t really know what you want and your girl knows exactly what she wants and she’ll do anything to get it? That’s why she scratched up my car. I was glad she didn’t slash my tires. If she did, I might not be talking to you right now — there might have been some domestic violence issues.

B: When you decided to call yourself The Dream, did you worry people would confuse you with that girl group Puffy put out in the late ’90s (left)?
D: I thought about them for a minute but then I started thinking about the hits they made and I couldn’t come up with one.

B: Well, there was that one with the white rapper …
D: I don’t remember it.

B: Who are some people you’re working with now?
D: I just listened to a song on Kanye’s new album, I’m gonna get on it. It’s called “Big Brother.” I’m going to sing on the remix. And I’m waiting for stuff to clear so I can work with Janet Jackson. And I’m working on Mariah’s album, too.

B: Anyone you still want to work with?
D: Natasha Bedingfield. I always liked her voice.

B: You’ve had a bunch of hits in a row recently, are you worried about the streak ending sometime soon?
D: If I was getting lucky it would be one thing but I know how to write these records a certain way for the masses. In this business, you have to get things that you wouldn’t normally get. That’s the only way you can stay successful. It’s not about just getting what you wanna get out of it and being like, “Well, ok, I get this and whatever I don’t get I don’t get it.” You gotta get why you don’t get it and still get it. I get it.

Tags: carrie underwood, The Game, Before He Cheats, Jordin Sparks, American Idol, interview, Blender

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