Singles
"Pon de Replay" was released as the album's lead single on May 24, 2005. It received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the West Indian and Caribbean inspired composition. However, Bill Lamb of About.com criticized the song, writing that the lyrics did not make the listener feel intellectually challenged or provoke thought as to what the song meant. The song peaked at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and UK Singles Chart. An accompanying music video was directed by Little X and features Rihanna in a club environment. "If It's Lovin' that You Want" was released as the second and final single from Music of the Sun on December 2, 2005. The song received mixed reviews from critics, with the majority praising and criticizing Rihanna's vocal performance. The song failed to replicate the chart success which "Pon de Replay" experienced, peaking at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and inside the top forty of multiple other charts. An accompanying music video was directed by Marcus Raboy and features Rihanna in a beach setting.
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