Music of the Sun by Rihanna
Music of the Sun is the debut album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released by Def Jam Recordings on August 12, 2005. Prior to signing with a record label, Rihanna was discovered by record producer Evan Rogers, who helped Rihanna record demo tapes which could be sent out to potential record labels. After Rihanna was signed by Jay-Z, the former Chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Def Jam, she continued to work with Rogers and his production partner Carl Sturken, as well as working with other producers for her debut album. Music of the Sun was recorded between 2004 and 2005. The album features vocals from artists including Kardinal Offishall, J-Status, and Vybz Kartel. An R&B album, Music of the Sun incorporates musical elements of dance-pop and caribbean music genres such as dancehall and reggae. The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented its dancehall and Caribbean-inspired songs, while others criticized some of the production. Music of the Sun debuted at number 10 on the United States Billboard 200 and number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album peaked in the top-40 of album charts in Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It produced two singles: "Pon de Replay" and "If It's Lovin' that You Want", the former of which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Music of the Sun was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 500,000 copies.
Superstars aren’t created overnight; most are lucky to access any notoriety after dropping a single blockbuster hit. But Rihanna isn’t your average superstar. The Barbadian singer’s career, it could be argued, broke through with a solo clash of a hi-hat cymbal now recognised the world over as the first sound of “Umbrella”. The Grammy winning track opens her third LP. With some assist from JAY-Z, Ri’s delivery of “brella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh” was the sound heard around the world, the start of her own personal revolution: a departure from her “Pon de Replay” Caribbean pop (after all, “Umbrella” was originally written for Britney Spears, whose team turned it down) and an arrival at total ubiquity. His is the first voice we hear, but her voice is the one we remember. It sets the tone for her third album, a confluence of ambitious, boundary-pushing vocal work on Rihanna’s part—a pivot toward edgy songcraft targeting the global stage—and a laundry list of A-list producers: Tricky Stewart, Sean Garrett, The-Dream and Timbaland. They, armed with the skill set to evolve Ri’s voice, worked to maintain her dancehall roots (like in “Say It”, which samples Mad Cobra’s 1992 song “Flex”), laying the foundation for an ineffable career. <i>Good Girl Gone Bad</i> has it all, boasting a prescient genre-agnosticism decades ahead of the pop landscape. “Shut Up and Drive” is high-octane New Wave rock ’n’ roll, for example, though the record is largely classified as pop R&B, while “Disturbia” charms with its gothic disco. There’s also a deep understanding of the importance of worldwide dance-pop hits, particularly with “Don’t Stop the Music”, courtesy of Norwegian producers Stargate, and its clever sample of Michael Jackson’s “mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koosa" from his 1983 single “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”. The record isn’t stacked exclusively with timeless classics—the pursuit of perfection is a fool’s errand—but even the non-blockbuster tracks stand out as exemplars of their time. Looking for a smooth-like-butter acoustic R&B ballad challenging Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable”? It’s “Hate That I Love You” featuring Ne-Yo. Or maybe it’s spacey, existential R&B with an ’80s-inspired spoken-word interlude you’re after? Look no further than “Question Existing”. Or do you prefer late-2000s sounds to be stacked with orchestral instruments and melancholic metaphor? That’s all “Rehab”, co-written by Justin Timberlake and produced by Timbaland. <i>Good Girl Gone Bad</i> remains the opening note for all the culture-shifting music Rihanna would create in the years that followed—as well as the legacies she’d inspire.
