One of the first things The-Dream says before getting into any singing on his Jay-Z-featuring cut “High Art” is “girl, I’m missing you like bitches miss my music.” I’m one of those people who has her first listen of “Sex Intelligent (Remix)” permanently etched into her brain because of one lyric: “6/7/2011, I’mma drop that Love Affair.” The promise of a fourth album (especially after he noted the first three were part of a trilogy that would be the only material in his solo catalogue) was a beacon of light on the already-insane Love King. But as we inched closer to June of that year, there was no new music. And then it was the 7th and there was no new album. And then it was November and he released a free, off-brand mixtape 1977 under his government name Terius Nash. While that collection has some stand-outs, it appeared he had lost interest in dishing out mind-bending sonics. Now we’re on the heels of an actual fourth LP, the cleverly titled IV Play and we can see that he hasn’t lost the thread. While “High Art” doesn’t entirely alter the scope of what R&B sonics can do, as one of the aforementioned “bitches” (err, sorry Mom and Dad), it’s nice to know that this record is really on its way.

IV Play is out 5/28 via Def Jam.