What year was Rihanna's first album released?

Rihanna's first album, Music of the Sun, was released in 2005. It was her debut studio album on Def Jam Recordings and introduced her blend of Caribbean influences, dancehall, reggae, R&B, and pop.

The album was released in August 2005, following Rihanna's signing with Def Jam after an audition for Jay-Z. Its lead single, “Pon de Replay,” became an international hit and helped establish her career. Some listeners confuse her debut with A Girl like Me, her second album, which arrived in 2006. That later release included “SOS,” but Music of the Sun is the album that came first.