Terius Nash is one of the strongest songwriters of his time: He’s had a hand in writing three of the best pop songs in recent memory—Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies”—and he’s also penned smash hits for Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige, among others. In fact, his prolificacy as a writer threatens to overshadow his own singing career, for which he goes by the stage name The-Dream. Last year a stunning demo of The-Dream singing his power ballad “1+1” (which he eventually gave to Beyoncé) leaked and served as a good reminder of his own gorgeous vocal talents. And after over a year of teases, title changes, and a couple of tantalizing new tracks (“ROC,” “Kill the Lights”) The-Dream is now gearing up to release the official follow-up to his acclaimed 2010 Love King album—Love IV MMXII is slated for release sometime this summer. With Kendrick Lamar, The Bar, Brothers From Another. ERIN K. THOMPSON

Fri., May 11, 7 p.m., 2012