Rihanna's potent combination of seductive style, cutting-edge beats, and forthright lyrics echo personality-driven, sex-positive pop smashes from decades past like Janet Jackson's strutting kiss-off “Nasty” and Madonna's bedroom jam “Erotica”. She also salutes her Barbadian heritage by incorporating island-inspired rhythms into her songs, à la Grace Jones' nu-disco come-on “Pull Up to the Bumper”.