Critical Reception
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised the song, and compared it to Beyoncé Knowles's 2003 chart topper "Baby Boy", because of how both songs feature "a dancehall-pop mixture". Bill Lamb of About.com gave the song four out of a possible five stars, and praised Rihanna's debut single as well as the singer herself, writing that Rihanna is "a star in the making and this catchy dance tune will get her noticed. It sounds great dancing on a warm summer evening or blasting from the car stereo." Lamb continued to write that the song is "hypnotically catchy", and that her voice shows that she is capable of being able to provide variety in her vocal performances, and that the "exotic island beat feel" works to the song's advantage. On the other hand, Lamb criticised the lyrics stating they did not make the listener feel intellectually challenged or provoke thought as to what the song means.
Read more about this topic: Pon De Replay
Famous quotes containing the words critical and/or reception:
“Productive collaborations between family and school, therefore, will demand that parents and teachers recognize the critical importance of each other’s participation in the life of the child. This mutuality of knowledge, understanding, and empathy comes not only with a recognition of the child as the central purpose for the collaboration but also with a recognition of the need to maintain roles and relationships with children that are comprehensive, dynamic, and differentiated.”
—Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (20th century)
“He’s leaving Germany by special request of the Nazi government. First he sends a dispatch about Danzig and how 10,000 German tourists are pouring into the city every day with butterfly nets in their hands and submachine guns in their knapsacks. They warn him right then. What does he do next? Goes to a reception at von Ribbentropf’s and keeps yelling for gefilte fish!”
—Billy Wilder (b. 1906)