From her 2007 breakthrough, Good Lady Gone Unhealthy, to her 2016 opus, Anti, many of the vital conversations surrounding Rihanna’s discography have ignored her auspicious debut album, Music Of The Solar. A lot of this oversight might be attributed to how the Bajan singer’s discography grew expansively through the years, the results of fixed experimentation and risk-taking when she may simply as simply have sat again and rested on her laurels – or royalties.
Rihanna’s origin story is well-documented: a 17-year-old aspiring singer catches the ear of Def Jam’s then-President/CEO, Jay Z, auditions for him, and is obtainable a recording contract hours later. However it might take greater than only one single to tell apart herself from the Ciaras and Ameries of the day.
‘Won’t you flip the music up?’
As her debut single – and Music Of The Solar album opener – “Pon De Replay” promised, Rihanna would have an explosive influence on dancefloors worldwide. Accompanied by a working dancehall riddim, the budding songstress raps, “Come, Mr. DJ, song pon de replay/Come, Mr. DJ, won’t you turn the music up.” At that second, Rihanna not solely turned a chart success, hitting No.2 on the Billboard Scorching 100, however a trendsetter, serving to to gas the 00s’ dancehall revival that included Sean Paul, Woman Noticed, and Beenie Man.
Launched on August 29, 2005, Music Of The Solar positioned a younger Rihanna on the forefront of West Indies music and tradition. Her follow-up single, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want,” took a easy midtempo R&B observe and added a soca spin courtesy of the 1988 fusion observe “Wee Rule,” by UK hip-hop outfit Wee Papa Lady Rappers. Backed by the flare of metal drums, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” was proof that Rihanna was greater than only a one-hit-wonder.
Music Of The Solar seamlessly fused native sounds from Barbados and the remainder of the Caribbean and featured influential artists from the area. “Rush” capitalized on the fast-paced power of “Pon De Replay,” with Canada’s authentic “hip-hop ambassador,” Kardinall Offishall, who jumps on a verse.
“Here I Go Again” options frequent collaborator J-Standing and performs into the midtempo vibes of basic reggae, with Rihanna delivering her first “oh na na” on document, predating her 2010 hit, “What’s My Name?” In the meantime, legendary dancehall rapper Vybz Kartel inserts his ragga model over a canopy of Daybreak Penn’s “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No),” whereas Elephant Man performs the hype man on the official remix of “Pon De Replay.”
Greater than a reggae document
Amid the heavy Caribbean influences, Music Of The Solar is far more than a reggae document. As Def Jam’s hottest signee, and Jay-Z’s protégé, it’s solely pure that Rihanna’s debut album included components of hip-hop and R&B.
“If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” interpolates the “di di-di, dida di-day” vocal motif from Boogie Down Productions’ historic 1987 diss track “The Bridge Is Over,” whereas “Willing To Wait” thematically takes its cue from Janet Jackson’s “Let’s Wait Awhile,” as Rihanna sings “Baby slow down” over a pattern of “Free” by Deniece Williams. In direction of the top of Music Of The Solar, she slows down the tempo much more with the soulful ballad “Now I Know.”
Outdoors of the singles, Music Of The Solar additionally options two deep cuts that embrace a 90s hip-hop soul sound. On “That La, La, La,” she confronts one other girl’s flirtatious habits in direction of her man. Produced by Full Pressure (the trio answerable for Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam’s 1985 smash “Can You Feel The Beat”) “That La, La, La” provides a dub reggae taste to an in any other case cranked-out cheerleader chant.
In the meantime, “There’s A Thug In My Life” hints on the potential unhealthy boys Rihanna would sing of in later songs. After going in opposition to her mom’s needs (and her personal instinct, understanding that “It’s gonna cause crazy trouble”), the singer abandons the philosophy she specified by “Willing To Wait,” over the heavily-sampled ‘A Dream’ by DeBarge.
International influences
Rihanna turned the worldwide icon she is right now, partly because of her skill to implement musical kinds from throughout the globe. Although reggae and R&B are the spine of Music Of The Solar, there are moments the place she borrows components from different regional kinds. On the seductive “Let Me,” she blends her native upbeat soca with hypnotic Center Japanese-inspired flutes, whereas “The Last Time” has components of a Latin-pop ballad, as Rihanna croons over classical guitar traces.
On the coronary heart of the album is its title observe, which makes use of one other DeBarge staple, “Rhythm Of The Night,” and was co-written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren. Over a reggae melody, Rihanna ideas her hat to the West Indian tradition that’s formed her, suggesting we are able to all “dance to the music of the sun.”
Upon its launch, Music Of The Solar reached No.10 on the Billboard 200 and shortly went gold, whereas her runway single, “Pon De Replay,” appeared incapable of stopping. For the Caribbean queen within the making, nonetheless, this was just the start.
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