Pon de Replay - Critical Reception

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.