Simon's choice to feature American singer Linda Ronstadt on "Under African Skies" was criticized, as three years earlier she had accepted $500,000 to perform at Sun City, a South African luxury resort. Nelson George of "Billboard" said her inclusion on "Graceland" was like “using gasoline to put out birthday candles”, and rock critic Robert Christgau wrote: "Even if the lyric called for total US divestiture, Ronstadt's presence on "Graceland" would be a slap in the face to the world anti-apartheid movement."