RIHANNA’S RETURN

Rihanna – the global icon, designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the top-selling digital singles artist of all time, national hero and one of Barbados’ finest – makes her highly-anticipated return to the airwaves tomorrow with “Lift Me Up,” the lead single from the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever original soundtrack. 

Her long-awaited return to music with the lead single on Marvel’s blockbuster sequel. The song, a tribute to the life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman, was written by Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and director Ryan Coogler. It will be released tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 28 in advance of the movie, which premieres in theaters on Nov. 11. 

Rihanna’s own Westbury Road label is releasing “Lift Me Up” in partnership with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings and Hollywood Records. Details about the rest of the movie’s soundtrack, which will be available on Nov. 4, remain vague.

For Marvel, collaborating with Rihanna — a press release says the song “ushers in the next era of Rihanna’s iconic career” — is another huge coup after snagging Kendrick Lamar and SZA to write “All The Stars” for the original “Black Panther.” The catchy track, which played over the film’s end credits, went on to score an Oscar nomination for original song, in addition to numerous Grammy nominations. (It’s unclear when “Lift Me Up” will appear in the sequel.) The first “Black Panther” soundtrack featured music by Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, Jorja Smith, Travis Scott, the Weeknd and Khalid, while its original score was composed by Göransson.

Boseman, who played King T’Challa in the original “Black Panther,” died of colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43. The follow-up film centers on Wakanda’s leaders as they contend with the death of their ruler and fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers. Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke co-star in the film.

Like the original, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is expected to be another box office smash. Based on early estimates, the movie is expected to earn at least $175 million in its opening weekend, which would mark one of the biggest debuts of the year. In 2018, the original “Black Panther” became an instant success, launching to $202 million and ultimately grossing $700.4 million domestically and $1.3 billion globally. It’s likely the sequel will also cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

The news highlights Rihanna’s grand return to music, which will continue when she headlines the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in February of 2023. It’s been more than half a decade since Rihanna’s last full-length release, “Anti,” dropped in 2016.