Music of the Sun [LP]

by Rihanna

Overview

Given the proliferation of young and beautiful urban dance-pop divas dominating the radio and music video airwaves in 2005, it initially was tempting to discount Rihanna as yet another Beyonce-Ciara-Ashanti cash-in. But like her Def Jam labelmate Teairra Mari -- another young and beautiful urban dance-pop diva who emerged out of nowhere in 2005 -- Rihanna is winsome rather than wannabe, thanks in no small part to her producers. Just as Teairra Mari benefited greatly from irresistibly shrewd beat-making on her debut album, Rihanna benefits from the knowing production work of Syndicated Rhythm Productions, aka Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken, who together produced a laundry list of contemporary teen pop sensations during the prior decade. What these guys do that's so irresistibly shrewd is synthesize Caribbean rhythms and beats with standard-issue urban dance-pop: Caribbean-inflected urban, if you will. So while a song like "Pon de Replay" -- to pick the most obvious exhibit -- is driven by booming dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence (and title spelling), it's a simple dance-pop song at its core, with standard English-language singing as well as a can't-miss singalong hook (and a glitzy, urban-style MTV video to boot). The best songs on Music of the Sun follow this appealing template, including the similarly catchy few songs that follow the aforementioned album-opening smash hit: "Here I Go Again," "If It's Lovin' That You Want," and "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)." As with most albums of this ilk, Music of the Sun descends into faceless slow jams after a while, overall consistency not being among its attributes, but thankfully it picks up the pace toward the end of its 13-song run and concludes on a fun note, with a remix of "Pon de Replay" featuring Elephant Man. The result is one of the more engaging urban dance-pop albums of the year (and one of the most infectious summer jams, for sure), as well as a nice Caribbean primer for those not ready or willing to jump on the increasingly trendy dancehall and reggaeton bandwagons concurrently sweeping through America's more fashionable cities. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	04/07/2017
Label:	Def Jam / Mercury / Virgin Emi
UPC:	0602557079814
Rank:	42445

Tracks

1. Pon de Replay
2. Here I Go Again
3. If It's Lovin' That You Want
4. You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
5. That La, La, La
6. The Last Time
7. Willing To Wait
8. Music of the Sun
9. Let Me
10. Rush
11. There's a Thug in My Life
12. Now I Know
13. Pon de Replay

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rihanna   Primary Artist
Full Force   Guest Artist
Elephant Man   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Kardinal Offishall   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Vybz Kartel   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
J-Status   Guest Artist,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Curtis Bedeau   Composer
Carl Sturken   Composer
Lawrence Parker   Composer
Ellas McDaniel   Composer
Andrew Thompson   Composer,Composer
Vada Nobles   Composer
Samuel Barnes   Composer
Rihanna   Composer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer
Diane Warren   Composer
Evan Rogers   Composer
Full Force   Composer
Jean-Claude Olivier   Composer
Deniece Williams   Composer
DJ Scott La Rock   Composer
Nathan Watts   Composer
Willie Cobbs   Composer
Henry Redd   Composer
Makeba Riddick   Composer
Paul Anthony George   Composer
Hugh Clarke   Composer
Brian George   Composer
Lucien George   Composer
Gerard Charles   Composer
Dernst Emile II   Composer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer
Alisha Brooks   Composer
Andrew Barwise   Composer
Byron Barwise   Composer
Oraine Stewart   Composer
Robyn Fenty   Composer
Alaxsander Mosely   Composer
Willie C. Cobbs   Composer
Coton Greene   Composer