Musically, the Barbados-born singer is often criticized, accused of not actually being a talented singer because of her very specific voice, which is not quite standard powerhouse, but more ambient, growling, and breathy at the same time. But that's nothing new to the music industry; just look at everyone from Janet Jackson to Britney Spears. Rihanna's voice might not be the most classically impressive, but it is one of the most versatile of our generation. She can lend vocals to a bass-pumping house hit, a mumbled Caribbean dancehall mix, or a tear-filled, wailing ballad best consumed with a side of whiskey, and it's almost guaranteed to climb the charts. Part of her longevity since she released her first album, Music Of The Sun, is thanks to that unmistakable voice, multifaceted and adaptable enough to glide as easily through that tropical debut album as it roars over the guitar riffs of Rated R. Chris Martin once famously compared her voice to a "beautifully squeezed tube of toothpaste...this whole, rich thing, solid like a tree trunk." And if you listen closely to the radio, influences of Rihanna's vocal styling can be heard in everyone from Sia to Lorde to any bass-pumping club-house hit featuring a lesser-known female singer.