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The-Dream brings ‘Too Early’ to ‘Late Night’

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During a recent interview with Pop & Hiss about his new album “IV Play,” The-Dream seemed most excited by far about “Too Early,” a mournful electro-blues cut the influential R&B star recorded with Gary Clark Jr. on guitar.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that for his gig Friday on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” The-Dream chose to play “Too Early” over the album’s title-track single.

Whatever his reasoning, we’re glad he did: Expertly backed by Clark and Fallon’s house band, the Roots, The-Dream brought a unique mixture of swagger and vulnerability to his performance; the moment near the end when his voice cracks is heartbreaking in all the right ways.

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Despite typically strong material like “Too Early” and “Turnt,” a stark club jam featuring Beyonce, “IV Play” debuted rather weakly at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 this week.

But don’t cry for The-Dream: According to Billboard, he’s due to appear on upcoming albums by Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye West.

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Watch “Too Early” below.

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Follow me on Twitter: @mikaelwood

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