Brenna Rushing of The Dallas Morning News similarly as other reviewers wrote, "Rihanna took full control of the surprisingly simple stage, dripping in sex appeal and belting knockout notes." She further stated that, "Rihanna treated the audience to rump-shaking sways and dance moves only a few pop stars can manage. But make no mistake, this sensual style wasn't a mask for her performance; it was just an enhancement." Rushing noted that if the fast club songs didn't catch the audience, then the ballad must did and praised their rendition. In a review of the Houston show, Joey Guerra of The Houston Chronicle stated "Rihanna sometimes emits a cold energy in videos and on record. But she comes alive onstage. There was energy and intent in every vocal lick, every hip swivel, every kick in thigh-high white boots. And that was before she even got to the big hits." Notably, Guerra praised the performances of "What Now" and the ballad set noting that nothing felt over choreographed as one moment led to another. Despite all the positive reviews during the North American leg, James Reed of Boston.com criticized Rihanna's tardiness to the Boston and the overtly use of backing tracks. However, he concluded with other critics that the ballads were her strongest moments of the night.
