Rihanna Announces First New Song in 6 Years

Queen RiRi is back! After being announced as the performer for the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna has now announced her first new song in six years. It's called “Lift Me Up," and will appear on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

“Lift Me Up” is her first new single as a lead artist since 2016. Rihanna co-wrote the song alongside Tems, producer Ludwig Göransson, and director Ryan Coogler, and it was recorded in five countries. According to a press release, the artists wrote the single “as a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman,” the star of the first Black Panther film who died in 2020 at the age of 43.

Tems said, “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.” She continued, “Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack will be released on November 4. The next week, on November 11, Ludwig Göransson’s original score for the film will be issued by Hollywood Records. The critically-acclaimed soundtrack for the first movie featured the likes of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, 2 Chainz, and Jorja Smith, among others.

While Rihanna has been busy the last several years with her business endeavors and a new baby, her last new solo release was the 2016 Star Trek Beyond track “Sledgehammer.” More recently, she’s collaborated on music with Future (“Selfish”), N.E.R.D. (“Lemon”), DJ Khaled (“Wild Thoughts”), Kendrick Lamar (“Loyalty.”), and PartyNextDoor (“Believe It”). She also co-starred in the music video for “D.M.B.” with A$AP Rocky. Rihanna’s most recent studio album was 2016’s Anti.

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_{Article Image: A portrait of Rihanna smiling while attending a Fenty Beauty event in 2022. (imagepressagency via DepositPhotos.)}