Music of the Sun

by

Rihanna

Edit

A fresh new female face of reggae has hit the USA, compliments of Jay-Z and Def Jam, and to the vacationing producer and his wife who stumbled upon Rihanna in her home turf in Barbados.

Lucky to be in the right place at the right time with the right voice and song, Rihanna captured the dance scene with her catchy single "Pon De Replay", a dancehall track with Sean Paul type rhythms, and Lumidee appeal.

To lovers of Caribbean music, this is standard fare, played at parties everywhere, and although the rest of the album is likeable, there's nothing spectacular. The second track "Here I Go Again" is what we call "Lover's Rock", with a beat as old as the hills, a genre that inspired millions of bump and grind slow dances. "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" is another Lover's Rock remix, and although she's only 17, she sounds much older singing this type of ballad.

"Music of the Sun" is a good track, with a chorus sounding like Debarge's "Rhythm of the Night"

Debarge:

Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night

dance until the morning light

Forget about the worries on your mind

you can leave them all behind

feel the beat of the rhythm of the night..

oohh the rhythm of the night...ooohh yeah

Rihanna:

Can you feel the music in the air

Let the rise of the rhythm take you there

It doesn't matter who are or where you from

Come and dance to the music of the sun

Forget about your troubles it's alright

Let `em know that you see the morning light

Hear the beat and the bodies move as one

Come and dance to the music of the sun

Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel add a little spice to the album, and other buzz-worthy songs are the dance friendly "Rush", "Let Me" and the pumping "Pon De (Replay Mix )" featuring Elephant Man.

Not a bad debut album from the young Bajan girl from the land of Sun, Surf and Sand.

Amanda Richards, September 17, 2005

You would imagine that she would be a one hit wonder. Her first single, "Pon De Replay" even samples the handclap that is notorious for leading to one hit wonders. (Must I remind you of Lumidee?) But actually, this CD has some pretty good material.

This album has some great songs like "Here I Go Again", "If It's Lovin' That You Want" and "Music of the Sun". Her voice is not the best, but she works with what she's got and produces wonderful harmonizing. There are one or two filler tracks, yes, like "Willing To Wait", but this CD has a lot more good material than bad, and is an enjoyable album.