Rihanna made her much-awaited return to music on Friday (Oct. 28) with “Lift Me Up,” featured on the soundtrack of the upcoming Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The arrival of the song was announced earlier this week, preceded by a series of cryptic billboards around New York and a teaser post on social media, which included the forthcoming movie title appearing onscreen before highlighting the first “R” in “Forever.”
“Lift Me Up” was written as a tribute to the late Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died from colon cancer in 2020 at 43. Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler all have writing credits on the track.
The “Love on the Brain” singer hasn’t released an album since Anti dropped six years ago, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The project also featured three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits, including the No. 1 “Work,” featuring Drake. In July 2017, she hit No. 2 with Bryson Tiller on DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts.”
While she has yet to reveal any plans for a ninth studio album, Rihanna’s break from live shows is slated to end on Feb. 12, 2023, when she headlines the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The Wakanda Forever soundtrack — produced by Coogler, Göransson, Archie Davis and Dave Jordan — will be out next Friday (Nov. 4). Listen to Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up.”
-Billboard