Rihanna releases poignant new Black Panther 2 single 'Lift Me Up' and official music video

The wait is over, Navy. Rihanna's long-awaited return to music is officially here to lift all of our spirits.

The "Diamonds" singer released the song "Lift Me Up," her first as a lead artist in six years, as part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack on Friday. The raw, poignant ballad — which was co-written by Rihanna, Tems, Ludwig Göransson, and the film's director, Ryan Coogler — is a tribute to the life and legacy of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020.

Rihanna dropped the single's accompanying video, directed by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Friday afternoon.

"Lift me up / Hold me down / Keep me close / Safe and sound," she sings in the track, a stripped-down affair anchored by piano, strings, and harp. A choir surfaces to back her delicate vocals at the song's halfway mark. Its simplicity is striking for Rihanna, who's become famous mostly for her sexy, defiant dance-pop bangers.

Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems explained in a press release that the inspiration for "Lift Me Up" came from a heartfelt conversation she had with 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," she said. "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."

While on the purple carpet for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Wednesday, Coogler revealed what inspired the creative team to reach out to Rihanna about appearing on the film's soundtrack. The singer is releasing two songs for the album: lead single "Lift Me Up" and the upcoming "Born Again."

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Marvel Studios Rihanna; Letitia Wright as Shuri in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

"When we realized what this film was going to be about, we were looking for artists who can embody it thematically," Coogler told The Hollywood Reporter. "We were taking a different musical approach with the film. Ludwig Göransson, who's our composer, and myself, we were looking to make the film and have actual songs that were incorporated into the score throughout the movie."

The director noted that they were able to "thread the needle" with Kendrick Lamar on the first film's soundtrack but were on the hunt for a new artist whose overall message felt aligned with the sequel.

"Rihanna was at the top of that list," he continued. "We knew she was at a point in her life as well where she was focusing on different things — you know, focusing on business, motherhood, which is a big theme in our film — so we were holding out hope that maybe it could work out and, boy, did it."

In addition to dominating the Billboard charts, Rihanna is also a successful business mogul and, more recently, a mother, having welcomed a son with partner A$AP Rocky back in May.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 'Lift Me Up' is Rihanna's first song as a lead artist in six years.

Speaking with EW earlier this month, Angela Bassett revealed that her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever character, Queen Ramonda, will navigate leading a nation while simultaneously mourning the loss of her son, T'Challa, who was portrayed by Boseman in the original film.

"She is the queen of Wakanda, the most powerful, most technologically advanced nation in the world, but she is also a mother," Bassett said at the time. "She's balancing trying to keep threats to her nation at bay, lead her people, and mother her daughter in the midst of the grief of losing her son and king. It's a lot for her to handle."

"Lift Me Up" is Rihanna's first new solo song since the 2016 Star Trek Beyond cut "Sledgehammer." Since then, she has collaborated with acts like Kendrick Lamar ("Loyalty"), Future ("Selfish"), DJ Khaled ("Wild Thoughts"), and PartyNextDoor ("Believe It"). Her most recent studio album is 2016's Anti.

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack is out Nov. 4, one week before the film's release date, Nov. 11.

Listen to "Lift Me Up" and watch its video above.

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