 Andy Kellman of AllMusic commented : " ' Umbrella ' is [ Rihanna 's best song ] to date , delivering mammoth if spacious drums , a towering backdrop during the chorus , and vocals that are somehow totally convincing without sounding all that impassioned - an ideal spot between trying too hard and boredom , like she might 've been on her 20th take . " Alex Macpherson of British newspaper The Guardian , " Umbrella " is " evidence " that Rihanna 's " strict work ethic is paying off " , adding that she " delivers [ in the song ] an impassioned declaration of us @-@ against @-@ the @-@ world devotion " . Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media , though he complimented the production , dismissed Rihanna 's voice which " takes on an unpleasant icepick edge when she tries to fill the space between the slow @-@ tempo beats " , adding that the song is " <unk> as event @-@ pop , particularly because of the disconnect between Rihanna 's cold , clinical delivery and the comforting warmth of the lyrics " . 
