Rihanna - heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B

Rihanna's musical style has changed during the release of her last three albums. Rihanna was originally marketed as a reggae singer since she burst on scene in 2005, with a styles of Pop, R&B and dancehall.

Rihanna music also include various styles of musical genres, including contemporary R&B, dance-pop, pop rock and the Caribbean music styles of reggae, soca, and dancehall.

With the release of Rihanna debut album Music of the Sun and its lead single "Pon de Replay", Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic described Rihanna's musical style as "synthesize Caribbean rhythms and beats with standard-issue urban dance-pop: Caribbean-inflected urban, if you will."

Rihanna is also described as utilizing "dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence." NME describes the singer as a "heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B."