Rihanna’s fans spent years bagging the singer to drop some new music and she’s finally answered their prayers. She dropped her first solo song in six long years, called “Lift Me Up”, from the soundtrack of the upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Rihanna’s new power ballad is a moving salute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who played T’Challa in the first Black Panther movie. The co-writer Tems described it as a song that “portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life.”
She disused its composition with the director Ryan Coogler, but the song really started taking shape once Rihanna came on board. Tems said she was an inspiration to her for a long time and hearing her convey this song is a great honor.
“Lift Me Up” is Rihanna’s long-awaited return to music, since she hasn’t worked on any solo projects since her 2016 album Anti. Another song by Rihanna, titled “Born Again”, is also expected to be featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
After finally surprising us with some new music, Rihanna is also plotting her first live performance in over five years. She’s set to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, taking place on February 12, 2023.
