OneRepublic may just be the quintessential 21st-century pop group. The L.A.-via-Colorado band was one of the first artists to prove the power of social media—and also one of the first to launch a career off of a hit remix. Fronted by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, the quintet was ready to unveil its debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, in 2006, when Columbia Records unexpectedly dropped the band. But thanks to a major boost on Myspace, where it had been occupying the platform’s Top Artists list for nearly two years, OneRepublic gained another life. And the band would soon strike gold thanks to a key connection from the past—producer Timbaland, who discovered the young Tedder on an MTV talent show in 2000. By the time Dreaming Out Loud finally dropped in 2007 (on Timbaland’s Interscope imprint, Mosley Music), OneRepublic had already flown up the charts with the producer’s beat-powered remix of “Apologize”, first featured on his album Shock Value. Timbaland’s version is more stripped-down than the original, which boasts luxurious strings and a sleeker climactic climb—key components of OneRepublic’s sound. Tedder, who was already a seasoned pop songwriter and producer for artists like Hilary Duff and Leona Lewis, is a natural melody weaver, letting his boyish croons soothe and soar through the band’s lush mix of piano, guitar, and strings. The group goes heaviest on sturdy rock anthems such as “Mercy” and “Stop and Stare”, but it pulls just as hard at the heartstrings when slowing down on poignant ballads like “Goodbye, Apathy” and “Come Home”. Jam-packed with skyscraping hooks and rousing romantic pleas, Dreaming Out Loud is the sound of OneRepublic mastering pace, tone, and texture for maximum dramatic effect. Unsurprisingly, several tracks here made their way onto TV and film soundtracks as well as the charts. But the band had many more tricks up its sleeve—as was soon to be revealed.