Rihanna’s last album, ANTI, was released exactly 2,465 days ago, and after years of teasing music but not releasing it, the musical drought is finally over. The “Diamonds” singer released her first solo single in six years, “Lift Me Up,” for the soundtrack of the new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film. The song comes after years of disappointing fans. Rumors of a double album never materialized, but the singer has been spotted in the studio several times in recent years.
Rihanna is Back after 5 years:
With the release of “Lift Me Up,” her first new music since her 2016 album “Anti,” she’s back in our ears.
The song is the lead single from the soundtrack of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and it was co-written by the bad gal herself, the film’s director Ryan Coogler, and Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson in tribute to late “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman.
The song is a soft ballad with sweet strings that highlight Rihanna’s voice as she sings a simple chorus, “Lift me up, Hold me down, Keep me close, Safe and sound.”
Her new song, which was released today, demonstrates the maturity of her voice—and it’s enchanting. It’s unclear where the song will appear in the film, but it’s sure to pack an emotional punch in a film with high emotional stakes following the death of star Chadwick Boseman. At the film’s world premiere on Wednesday, director Ryan Coogler told The Hollywood Reporter that the sequel was going in a “different direction,” and that his team was “looking for artists who could embody [the film’s] thematic… and Rihanna was at the top of that list.”
For better or worse, depending on who you ask, the song is not what most people expected. The songwriters chose a soft piano ballad with very little production aside from the Bajan singer’s earnest vocals. Tems previously told Complex that she wanted to write a song that depicted “a warm embrace from all the people I’ve lost in my life,” and the song does just that. The song received overwhelmingly positive feedback from Twitter users, with some calling it a “masterpiece.”
Rihanna teased the new music with a 14-second clip of her humming the opening notes before eager ears got the chance to hear the full more than a 3-minute song.
Rihanna’s voice “has been an inspiration” to co-writer Tems, who wanted to write “Lift Me Up” to feel like a “warm embrace” from all of the people she’s lost.
However, it is not for everyone. After waiting six years for new material from the superstar, some fans found the song disappointing. Some thought it was too slow; it was a complete 180 from the first film’s soundtrack, which featured Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s smash hit “All The Stars.” However, just because the song is associated with the film does not necessarily imply that this is what Rihanna’s new music will sound like. That is yet to be determined and announced.
Rihanna, 34, and her boyfriend A$AP Rocky were out on the red carpet for the film’s world premiere on Wednesday night, without their baby. The “Fashion Killa” couple strolled down the press line in matching Rick Owens ensembles.
The singer is set to headline the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show in February, which will put her on an even bigger stage. Since her announcement in September, very few details about her performance have emerged.
In a news release, Jay-Z, who founded the Roc Nation label, which has an entertainment partnership with the NFL, praised Rihanna as “a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn.”