Rihanna releases her first song after 6 years

Rihanna made her comeback to music after a six year hiatus with Lift Me Up, the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The song was released on Friday, October 28^th.

Lift Me Up is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, the late actor that played King T’Challa in Black Panther. Boseman passed away after a battle with colon cancer in 2020. He was 43 years old. Boseman was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and dealt with it privately for four years.

Rihanna co-wrote the song with Tems, producer Ludwig Göransson, and director Ryan Coogler.

“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. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them” Tems said in a press statement.

“Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor,” she finished.

Rihanna and her last collaborations

Lift Me Up is Rihanna’s first new solo song since Sledgehammer, the track from Star Trek Beyond. Recently, the singer has collaborated with Future, N.E.R.D., DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, and PartyNextDoor. She was also a co-star in the music video for D.M.B., along with A$AP Rocky, her boyfriend and father of her child.

Critical reception

The much-anticipated ballad was received with praise and warmth. After six long years, fans were mostly just excited to hear Rihanna sing again. Lift Me Up had people shedding tears and experiencing the love collaborators had for Chadwick Boseman.

However, the critics gave the song mixed reviews. Pitchfork described Lift Me Up as a “generic entry for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.” The Guardian called the song “light” and “anonymous.” Harper’s Bazaar on the other hand, thought that Rihanna might earn her first nomination for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

Since Rihanna’s last album, Anti, she has teased about two different projects, one of them being described as dancehall-adjacent. The singer has been frequently photographed coming in and out of recording studios, but the details regarding a future full-length, solo Rihanna studio album, remain scarce.

Rihanna is nervous about her big performance

Rihanna broke her silence on her hugely anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance. The singer was shopping at Bristol Farms when TMZ asked her how she feels about the big game.

The singer said she feels “nervous” about the performance, but nonetheless, excited to hit the stage.

When it came to the special guests she will invite on stage, Rihanna remained tightlipped, but not without giving us a hint of what’s to come.

TMZ asked if A$AP Rocky is one of the names performing with her. Rihanna shrugged and responded with a “maybe, girl.”

Rihanna drops baby name hint

As you may now, Rihanna gave birth to her first child, a son, in May of this year. She didn’t announce the birth, she didn’t post any pictures, and of course, she hasn’t made the boy’s name public.

Fans have alleged that the name could start with a “R,” since both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky share R names. A$AP Rocky’s real name is Rakim.

However, the Savage X Fenty mogul was spotted out and about Los Angeles rocking a necklace with the letter “D” on it.