Rihanna returns with her first solo new music in six years and it’s setting the emotional tone for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack was released Friday. The song for the upcoming Marvel film is already a hit with her fans — Rihanna’s Navy.
The 9-time Grammy Award Winner teased the release of “Lift Me Up” on Wednesday. Within an hour of her posting the 14-second teaser, more than 70,000 tweets were made according to Twitter. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever released a TV spot with its end card having the letter R increase in size as the rest of the title fades out.
The new song starts with Rihanna humming the melody before she sings the emotional lyrics.
“Lift me up/Hold me down/Keep me close/Safe and sound,” she sings. “Burning in a hopeless dream/Hold me when you go to sleep/Keep me in the warmth of your love when you depart/Keep me safe, safe and sound.”
Rihanna also debuted a music video for the song on Friday, which features the singer on a beach singing emotionally with some scenes from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
“Lift Me Up” is written by Rihanna, Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler as a tribute to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. He died in 2020 following a battle with colon cancer. Boseman was 43 years old.
Audiences can expect this film to be an emotional ride as the film will address the absence of Wakanda’s King T’Challa. The decision from Marvel not to recast Boseman was said to be the best direction to take for now. A few of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actors spoke about missing T’Challa from the sequel. Actor Winston Duke also shared his thoughts on recasting T’Challa and said that “it just felt like it was much too soon.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Music From and Inspired By will be released November 4th and the Marvel film debuts in theaters November 11th. You can watch Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” video below:
