The-Dream felt disappointed in "Love/Hate"s minor success with mainstream audiences, particularly its lack of nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009. Writing in May that year, Christgau observed how the album had "yielded R&amp;B hits [and] went Gold", but "failed to make him as ubiquitous as Akon", his contemporary in the genre. According to "The New York Times" reporter Melissa Maerz, The-Dream was "one of pop's most reliable hit makers" but "not yet a pop star", and had also been "criticized for an uncharismatic stage presence". Attributing this outcome to marketing, The-Dream pursued a greater crossover strategy with his second album "Love vs. Money" (2009), which was written during his divorce from Nivea and explored the depreciating effect of wealth on relationships through confessional and emotionally-charged narratives, alongside guest appearances by high-profile vocalists in Mariah Carey, Kanye West, and Lil Jon.