It’s the moment we’ve all been eagerly waiting for…Rihanna is back!
The “Needed Me” singer lent her signature voice to the moving track, where she sings, “Lift me up / hold me down / keep me safe / safe and sound” over plucky strings and a blooming choir complementing her powerful vocals.
Following weeks of speculation that our queen was slated to take part in the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, Rihanna confirmed with a tweet on Oct. 26.
“lift me up 10.28.22,” she wrote, alongside a 14-second clip of a shiny silver “R” and humming.
The track was teased prior to Rihanna’s tweet when fans spotted Times Square billboards advertising the Marvel sequel with a telltale “R” and Friday’s date.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the track was co-written by Tems, Rihanna, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
The song was recorded across five countries and was produced by Göransson.
This marks Rihanna’s first solo single since 2016, when she released the iconic “Love On The Brain.”
In 2020, she was featured on the PARTYNEXTDOOR track “Believe It.”
And, as if this moment wasn’t already special enough because of Rihanna’s return to music, the song is apparently a tribute to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020.
In a statement, writer Tems said, “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. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
In the six years since her Anti album, Rihanna has been busy with her beauty line, Fenty Beauty, and her lingerie company, Savage X Fenty.
Plus, the singer gave birth to her first son with rapper A$AP Rocky in May 2022.
But on Sept. 25, the “Kiss It Better” singer excited fans and celebrities alike with a tease of her return to music via her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement on social media.
Here’s hoping she’s here to stay!
See the Rihanna Navy’s reactions to “Lift Me Up,” below:
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