‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Director Praises Rihanna for ‘Lift Me Up’: ‘She Is the One and Only’
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the highly-anticipated sequel to Marvel’s 2018 Black Panther. The sequel garnered even more hype after Rihanna announced her music drought would end with a new song for the Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Director Ryan Coogler says he is grateful to Rihanna for “Lift Me Up” and is excited for fans to hear it.
Rihanna is coming back to music with ‘Lift Me Up’
Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actor, and businesswoman. She has had an incredibly successful career in music that has spanned from the early 2000s to the present day. Her last album, Anti, debuted in 2016 and became the first album by a Black female artist to spend 300 weeks on the Billboard 200. Many have been waiting for her return to music, but Rihanna has kept herself occupied with her Fenty fashion brand and the recent birth of her first child with A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna surprised fans on Wednesday by announcing her new single, “Lift Me Up.” The song will be released on Oct. 28 and will be a part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The first Black Panther soundtrack was produced by Kendrick Lamar and featured other hip-hop and R&B artists, including SZA, 2 Chainz, Future, Anderson .Paak, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd.
Ryan Coogler is grateful to Rihanna for working on the ‘Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever held its world premiere on Wednesday. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, director Ryan Coogler discussed how he managed to get Rihanna to work on the soundtrack.
“I’ll say this, I didn’t get her to do anything. I don’t think anybody can get her to do anything, she’s a person who marches to the beat of her own drum,” Coogler stated. “I’m just thankful that she wanted to contribute to this, and I’ll be forever grateful and not just to her, but all the other fantastic musicians that are on the soundtrack. But yeah, she is a big one, she is the one and only.”
Coogler also revealed “Lift Me Up” will have global influences attached to it. Composer and co-writer Ludwig Göransson drew on his travels to various countries to bring a worldwide feel to the song. The song was recorded in five countries, including the U.S., the U.K, Mexico, Senegal, and Nigeria.
‘Lift Me Up’ is written as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman
While Marvel fans are excited about Wakanda Forever, there is a tinge of sadness as it’s the first Black Panther film following Chadwick Boseman’s death. According to a press release, the track was written by Rihanna, Tems, Coogler, and Göransson to honor Boseman’s life and legacy.
“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,” Tems shared in a statement. “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.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11.
