Critical Reception
"Shut Up and Drive" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com commented that there are better songs on Good Girl Gone Bad, but "Shut Up and Drive" captures "the spirit of summer just as well as Rihanna's first hit 'Pon de Replay'". Lamb further continued, "The lyrics are pure fluff, and the vocals have the now familiar thin and reedy quality common to many of Rihanna's efforts. However, like any successful sports car, the look, feel, and speed of 'Shut Up and Drive' pull you in despite the model's shortcomings." Quentin B. Huff from PopMatters wrote that "Shut Up and Drive" is a sassier version of Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love" and Michael Jackson's "Speed Demon". He also stated that the song would have fit comfortably on Gwen Stefani's first album. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine found that the song did not live up to its campy title, while Rodney Dugue from The Village Voice described it as simultaneously "goofy and sexually daring". Andy Kellman from Allmusic also referred to it as "a sleek, forthcoming proposition…as undeniable and rocking as Sugababes' 2002 UK smash 'Freak Like Me'". "Shut Up and Drive" won Most Popular R&B Song at the People's Choice Music Awards.
Read more about this topic: Shut Up And Drive (Rihanna Song)
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