Rihanna releases 'Lift Me Up' from 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' soundtrack
New music from Rihanna is finally here.
The singer dropped her new song, "Lift Me Up," the lead single from the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack, Thursday at midnight.
Rihanna announced the song, her first new music since the release of her 2016 album, "Anti," on Tuesday, sharing a snippet to Instagram of her humming along to the new tune.
Also in the clip is the same "R" featured in a post shared on the Marvel Studios and "Black Panther" social pages earlier that day. Fans accurately guessed that the teaser was a hint that Rihanna would be contributing music to the soundtrack for the "Black Panther" sequel. Rihanna also left a set of emojis in the comments section of the post, fueling even more speculation from fans.
The song was written by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler as a tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman, who died in August 2020 after a years-long battle with colon cancer.
"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," Tems said in a press release. "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," she added.
It was announced in September that Rihanna will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" arrives in U.S. theaters on Nov. 11. The movie's soundtrack will be available Nov. 4.
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
