Rihanna to make long-awaited return to music with ‘Black Panther’ movie sequel

After a six-year hiatus, Rihanna is set to release new music for the forthcoming Marvel sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

The singer, 34, confirmed her involvement with the film Wednesday by teasing audio for the soundtrack’s lead single, “Lift Me Up,” on Twitter. The song will be released Friday, ahead of the film’s premiere Nov. 11.

The song is a tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the original “Black Panther” movie and died in November 2020 at age 43 after a yearslong battle with colon cancer.

It marks Rihanna’s first new music as a solo artist since her 2016 album, “Anti.”

The song was co-written with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Gransson and “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, according to Disney-owned Marvel. It will be released on Rihanna’s Westbury Road label in partnership with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings and Hollywood Records.

“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 who 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 statement. 

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

The soundtrack for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be available Nov. 4.

Since her “Anti” album, the nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer has established herself as a successful businesswoman and was named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire woman in the U.S. by Forbes. Much of her wealth has come from her lucrative brands including Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty.

The singer will also be returning to giving live performances. In September, it was announced that she’ll perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.

Correction: This story was updated to include a photo of Rihanna.