A music video for the song was released on June 30, 2016, and shows Rihanna performing magical acts on a foreign planet.

"[3] The song is a piano ballad[6] written in the key of D major with a slow tempo of 65.5 beats per minute in common time.

[7] Camila Cassidy of The Edge gave the song a generally positive review stating, "She pretty much nailed it – it feels tone perfect.

"[8] Daniel Kreps from Rolling Stone wrote, "Rihanna sings on the aching chorus, which sports a monster hook typical of Sia's work.

"[6] Rachel Sonis from Idolator gave the song a 7/10, stating, "The Aussie singer-songwriter knows exactly how vast Rih[anna]’s vocal abilities are and isn't afraid to push them.

No doubt, this probably came in handy, since “Sledgehammer” — from Rihanna's haunting drones to the song's thunderous melody — is a monster of a track.

[11] The music video features Rihanna dressed in a sci-fi costume performing magical acts, with Swarm Ships from Star Trek Beyond flying around her.