Rihanna Returns to the Charts
After six years of releasing everything but music, Rihanna’s new track, “Lift Me Up” for the new blockbuster “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has reached no. 1 on the Billboard “Hot Trending Songs Powered by Twitter”.
The song, released Oct. 28, was written both for the movie and as a tribute to the late “Black Panther” star, Chadwick Boseman.
“Rihanna said ‘I was trying to do this man and his family justice,’” co-writer of “Lift Me Up” and director of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Ryan Coogler said in an interview with HipHopDx. “I was trying to make something worthy of what he gave to us.”
After months of spending time as a new mother and providing time to respect the impact of Boseman’s life, the time felt right for the star to return to music.
“Rihanna does what Rihanna wants to do,” Coogler said when asked how he got the artist back in the studio. “I didn’t get her to do anything. I think the timing just lined up.”
Themes of “Wakanda Forever” made Rihanna’s return anything but coincidence. Focusing on motherhood and strong female figures, the movie had a big impact on the star’s timeline.
“It made sense that it would be a woman [to lead the soundtrack],” Coogler said in an interview with PinkVilla. “It made sense that it could be someone who could speak to, not necessarily the words, but the feeling of motherhood.”
A lot has changed in Rihanna’s life since she last released music, giving her a new perspective on her art.
“I’m looking at my next project completely differently from the way I had wanted to put it out before,” Rihanna said in an interview with Vogue. “I think this way suits me better, a lot better.”
Emma Goodfriend is a senior, returning to the "Bulldog Tribune" for her third year. Goodfriend is a part of Cards For Cause and is a tutor at the writing...