TOPLINE
Rihanna confirmed Wednesday she will release her first new song in five years on Friday, marking the singer’s long-awaited return to music after focusing on her makeup and lingerie lines.
KEY FACTS
The single, called “Lift Me Up,” is part of the soundtrack for the upcoming movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever—Marvel Studios tweeted a video of the movie’s logo, with the letter “R” moving out and glistening, the same “R” Rihanna shared on social media on Wednesday.
The short clip of the tune shared by Rihanna features her humming.
The song was written as a tribute to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died from cancer in 2020, Variety reported.
Many fans expected Rihanna’s return to music was coming after she announced last month she would perform at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.
However, the singer has not announced any plans of releasing her ninth studio album.
FORBES VALUATION
Rihanna first became a billionaire in August and Forbes estimates her net worth is $1.4 billion.
KEY BACKGROUND
Rihanna last appeared on N.E.R.D.’s song “Lemon” in 2017. Her last album Anti was released in 2016. During her hiatus from music, she’s grown her Fenty business empire, including her Fenty Beauty makeup line, her Fenty Skin skincare line and her Savage X Fenty lingerie line. This year, she confirmed she was pregnant with her first child, with her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky. The couple reportedly welcomed a baby boy in May.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Wakanda Forever is the sequel to 2018’s wildly successful Black Panther, and will be released in theaters on November 11. The first movie’s soundtrack was curated by Kendrick Lamar, and his song for the film with SZA, “All The Stars,” was nominated for the the Oscar for Best Original Song. Rihanna’s annual Savage X Fenty fashion show hits Amazon Prime Video on November 9, and is set to feature performances by Burna Boy and Anitta, and appearances by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Cara Delevingne and Simu Liu.
BIG NUMBER
9. That’s how many Grammy awards Rihanna has won.
FURTHER READING
Rihanna Will Headline Next Year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show (Forbes)