Rihanna is finally releasing a new single, and it’s coming this week. It’s called ‘Lift me Up’ and will be released on the 28th of October USA time, so the 29th for us living in Aotearoa.
‘Lift Me Up’ will be the first song Rihanna is the lead singer on since she released ‘Sledgehammer’ back in 2016. She’s featured on great tracks like DJ Khaled’s ‘Wild Thoughts’ and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Loyalty’ since then, but we have not been treated to the full Riri treatment in more than half a decade, that ends this week.
‘Lift Me Up’ will be a part of the soundtrack for the upcoming Marvel film ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, evidenced by Riri’s post announcing the track.
Nigerian singer Tems, as well as producer Ludwig Göransson and the film’s director Ryan Cooglre all helped Rihanna put the track together.
In a press release, the group said the song “was written as a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman”. Boseman passed away in 2020.
Cast members for ‘Wakanda Forever’ have spoken about how much he has influenced the upcoming film, with Angela Basset saying “Chadwick was with us every step of the way” during filming.
Tems says that as well as paying tribute to Boseman, the track will give recognition to people close to her that she has lost.
“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,” she said.
“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 honour.”
