Rihanna is finally returning to music by way of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The singer, 34, teased the audio and song title, “Lift Me Up,” on Twitter with a pre-save link for Spotify and Apple Music users.
According to a press release, “Lift Me Up” is a tribute to the life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman and was co-written by Rih, Tems, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, and Ryan Coogler. The song was also recorded in five countries and produced by Göransson.
“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,” expressed Tems in a statement. “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.”
On Tuesday (Oct. 25), Marvel Entertainment’s official account uploaded a 15-second video onto their Instagram account. The minimalistic short clip features the upcoming film’s title before suddenly transforming around the 6-second mark.
After the title fades to black, the first “R” in “Forever” rises to the center of the screen, with the date Oct. 28, 2022, appearing underneath, leading fans to believe that RiRi will be making her grand return to music this Friday.
The account captioned the video with an eye emoji with no further context. Then, Rihanna, née Robyn Rihanna Fenty, jumped into the post’s comment section, adding more fuel to the speculation with an arms-crossed emoji, imitating the Wakanda forever gesture, and a red heart.
Rumors of Fenty’s musical comeback have run rampant since the singer was confirmed for Super Bowl 2023’s Halftime Show last month.
TMZ caught up with the Unapologetic crooner on Oct. 5 to ask her about being selected to perform during the NFL’s biggest game.
“I’m nervous, but I’m excited,” she confessed. When asked if A$AP Rocky, her longtime boyfriend and father of their newborn child, would be joining her on stage — the singer said: “Maybe, girl.”
The Savage x Fenty founder is reportedly trying to decide whether she will perform at the Super Bowl solo or invite other stars to share the stage.
TMZ reports that a “source with direct knowledge” of the Anti singer’s plans disclosed that artists she has collaborated with throughout her career could appear on stage with her.
The list includes nearly 50 names, including Pharrell, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Drake, Jeezy, and more.
