Returning to music with her first single in six years, Rihanna releases ‘Lift Me Up,’ the emotional ballad from the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack.
The superstar singer’s first solo release was her 2016 album ‘ANTI’, the new song is a touching tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman – T’Challa from the 2018 original film – who passed away in 2020 at the age of 43 following a secret battle with cancer.
The ballad was co-written by the movie’s director Ryan Coogler, Beyonce and Drake’s songwriter Tems and producer Ludwig Göransson, and in a statement about the song, Tems said:
“I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them.” “Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honour.” “Rihanna was Coogler’s first choice for the soundtrack. The new mother was the perfect fit because motherhood is a big theme in the Marvel flick, and they were “looking for artists who would embody it thematically.” This week he added “Rihanna, man, we knew she was at a point in her life as well where she was focusing on different things — focused on business, motherhood, which is a big theme in our film. We were holding out hope that maybe it could work out and boy did it for this song.” “I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
The 34-year-old billionaire singer/fashion icon gave birth to her first child, a baby boy, with A$AP Rocky in May.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ hits movie theaters on November 11.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Jørund F Pedersen