Rihanna Makes A Comeback With ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Original Song

Rihanna has made a comeback after 6 years by releasing new music for the forthcoming Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Rihanna released her first song as a lead singer after 6 years, as part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack on Friday. Rihanna briefly teased the song’s melodic hum on social media, but little else was known about the style and sound of “Lift Me Up” then.

Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems explained in a press release that the inspiration for "Lift Me Up" came from a heartfelt conversation she had with Coogler. "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," she 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 honor."

While on the purple carpet for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Wednesday, Coogler revealed what inspired the creative team to reach out to Rihanna about appearing on the film's soundtrack. The singer is releasing two songs for the album: lead single "Lift Me Up" and the upcoming "Born Again."

"When we realized what this film was going to be about, we were looking for artists who can embody it thematically," Coogler told The Hollywood Reporter. "We were taking a different musical approach with the film. Ludwig Göransson, who's our composer, and myself, we were looking to make the film and have actual songs that were incorporated into the score throughout the movie."

The director noted that they were able to "thread the needle" with Kendrick Lamar on the first film's soundtrack but were on the hunt for a new artist whose overall message felt aligned with the sequel. "Rihanna was at the top of that list," he continued. "We knew she was at a point in her life as well where she was focusing on different things — you know, focusing on business, motherhood, which is a big theme in our film — so we were holding out hope that maybe it could work out and, boy, did it."

For Marvel, collaborating with Rihanna — a press release says the song “ushers in the next era of Rihanna’s iconic career” — is another huge coup after snagging Kendrick Lamar and SZA to write “All The Stars” for the original “Black Panther.” The catchy track, which played over the film’s end credits, went on to score an Oscar nomination for original song, in addition to numerous Grammy nominations. (It’s unclear when “Lift Me Up” will appear in the sequel.) The first “Black Panther” soundtrack featured music by Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, Jorja Smith, Travis Scott, the Weeknd, and Khalid, while its original score was composed by Göransson, reported The Variety.

Boseman, who played King T’Challa in the original “Black Panther,” died of colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. The follow-up film centers on Wakanda’s leaders as they contend with the death of their ruler and fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers. Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke co-star in the film.

Since Rihanna's “Anti” album, the nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer has established herself as a successful businesswoman and was named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire woman in the U.S. by Forbes. Much of her wealth has come from her lucrative brands including Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty.