Music of the Sun
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that young singing sensation Rihanna offers appealing songs with a gentle girl-power message. Some of the lyrics are a tiny bit suggestive but tame compared to most pop music.
Families listening together can talk about the ways in which the artist's West Indies upbringing flavors the sound of her music, both rythmically and lyrically. They can also talk about how music doesn't have to be sensationalistic to be sensational.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Rihanna's summer club hit, "Pon de Replay," is the first track on MUSIC OF THE SUN. The young singer follows up with eleven nicely produced tunes, ending with a remix of "Pon de Replay" – so the CD begins and ends on an irresistibly danceable high note. In between are an assortment of love ballads and perky uptempo songs with a Caribbean flavor and a gently empowering message for girls.
On "The Last Time," for example, she sings: "It's the last time I'm ever gonna cry these tears/I'm never gonna hear your lies/so listen while I make it clear...there's only time to say goodbye" to a wayward lover. "Rush," a duet with Kardinal Offishall, describes a new flirtation with playful innuendo and lyrics that make it clear that Rihanna, despite all the excitement, has a strong sense of herself. "There's a Thug in My Life" explores the attraction of bad boys for nice girls. ("Mama don't worry/I'm not in a hurry/I won't disappoint you/I won't make you sorry...There's a thug in my life/how'ma gonna tell my mama.")
The music is infectious, the lyrics are clever, the performances and production sparkle. Barbados-born Rihanna, still a teenager herself, delivers music as warm and bright as a Caribbean sunrise.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSome mild sexual innuendo. |
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ViolenceOne song about falling for a "thug" -- but no violent lyrics. |
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LanguageNothing offensive. |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorA mildly empowering message for girls. |
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CommercialismNoting obvious. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoNothing obvious. |
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