It’s been confirmed by The Academy that Rihanna will perform at the 2023 Oscars. For the first time, she will perform her Oscar-nominated song, “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
This nomination for Best Original Song is Rih’s first. According to The Academy, more talent announcements will be shared in the coming weeks. The 95th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023 in Hollywood and air live on ABC.
“Lift Me Up” served as the Anti singer‘s return to music after a six-year hiatus. The emotional tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman previously earned Rih her first Golden Globe nomination. The record topped the Billboard Hot R&B Songs, R&B Streaming Songs, R&B Digital Song Sales, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs charts upon its release back in October and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Co-written by Ludwig Göransson, the franchise’s director Ryan Coogler, and Tems, the latter expressed, “After speaking with Ryan [Coogler] 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. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me, so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
The news of this performance comes not long after Rih announced her second pregnancy during this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. The full performance is available on the NFL’s official YouTube channel.