Rihanna's New Single From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ends A Long Hiatus
Sound the alarms; it's a pop emergency!
After years of anticipation, Rihanna is finally making her musical comeback. Since the release of 2016's "Anti," the pop phenomenon has stayed relatively under the radar, focusing on her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty and cosmetics line Fenty Beauty, an endeavor that's made her a billionaire (via Forbes). Despite her success as a businesswoman, Rihanna is eager to return to her musical roots and is charting a massive return. The star has already been confirmed to headline 2023's Super Bowl Halftime Show, a performance she's "nervous" for, per TMZ.
While there have been rumblings that the Grammy-winner is recording a ninth album, no concrete details have emerged about new music until now. To mark the special occasion, the artist is going all out, collaborating with the perfect brand to mark her return. Teaming up with Marvel Studios, Rihanna is set to release an all-new track for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." The billion-dollar grossing studio has already dubbed the upcoming single as the "next era of Rihanna's iconic career."
The original "Black Panther" debuted in 2018 alongside a soundtrack curated, produced, and partly performed by Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. In addition to featuring Ludwig Göransson's score, the film showcased several songs from the tie-in soundtrack, including Lamar and SZA's "All The Stars," which played over the end credits. The melodic track eventually received several Grammy nominations and an Oscar nod.
Could Rihanna's upcoming single for "Wakanda Forever" reach the same heights? Read on to learn more about her upcoming track.
Rihanna's Wakanda Forever track will honor Chadwick Boseman
Taking to Twitter, Rihanna revealed that her first lead single in six years is titled "Lift Me Up." The artist teased the song with a brief snippet, though concrete details are slim on the upcoming track. "Lift Me Up" will hit streaming services on Friday, October 28. The "Black Panther" track can be pre-saved here. Rihanna's Wesbury Road label is releasing the lead single from the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack in partnership with Jay Z's Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Disney's very own Hollywood Records.
A press release reveals that the melodic song is penned by Nigerian artist Tems, producer Ludwig Göransson, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" director Ryan Coogler, and Rihanna. "Lift Me Up," which was recorded in five countries, is produced by Göransson. The song is described as a "tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman," a sentiment that will be explored in the upcoming film as well. Boseman passed away at the age of 43, before "Wakanda Forever" could begin production. "After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I've lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them," Tems said.
While the brand new track will release this Friday, details are slim on the upcoming "Wakanda Forever" soundtrack, which is expected to hit streaming services on November 4. The Marvel Studios sequel will hit cinemas on November 11.