Rihanna has been on somewhat of a hiatus in recent years. The musician has been enjoying the quiet life alongside boyfriend A$AP Rocky, and it seemed intent on remaining out of the spotlight for the foreseeable. However, it has since been announced that the singer will release a new song for the upcoming Black Panther sequel.
So why would the singer come out of the shadows to release her first new track in years? In honour of Chadwick Boseman, the actor who sadly died in 2020 and had previously embodied the role of the titular superhero.
The Barbadian singer made the surprise announcement about the new song last week, and the interest in the track, titled ‘Lift Me Up’ has gathered ever since. Making an appearance at the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever alongside A$AP Rocky, Rihanna got tongues wagging with her revelation.
Director Ryan Coogler was asked how the partnership came about and revealed that it was in honour of the late Chadwick Boseman that Rihanna came out of hiatus. “Honestly, I think it was Chad,” the director told the red carpet.
“A lot of improbable things needed to happen for it to come through and Rihanna was very clear that she did that for him.”
The track will arrive on Friday and has been called “huge” by one of the film’s stars Michaela Coel. “It’s kind of incredible because Rihanna doesn’t make music for any old person or project so it’s huge,” Coel said.
The song comes after announcing that Rihanna will perform at this year’s SuperBowl Halftime show.
