Rihanna did Black Panther: Wakanda Forever song as tribute Chadwick Boseman
The film's director revealed how Rihanna's involvement came about, and why she did it as a tribute for the late Boseman.
Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to land in theatres next month, and though we don't know who will be the new Black Panther, we do know Rihanna features in the film's soundtrack.
The singer and entrepreneur surprised fans by sharing a snippet of the song on Twitter with its title and release date. The track, Lift Me Up, will be available on Friday 28th October.
It's a rather momentous occasion, considering Rihanna's last album was released in 2016. Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler, who co-produced the track, revealed at the film's world premiere that the "improbable" collaboration was Rihanna's way of paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman.
The late actor played T'Challa/Black Panther before his passing aged 43 in 2020 of cancer.
"Honestly, I think it was Chad," Coogler told PA news agency on the red carpet. "A lot of improbable things needed to happen for it to come through and Rihanna was very clear that she did that for him."
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I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel also commented on Rihanna's involvement. "It’s kind of incredible because Rihanna doesn’t make music for any old person or project so it’s huge," she said. Coel has joined the Wakanda Forever cast as Dora Milaje captain Aneka.
Though fans will have to wait until Friday to listen to the full song, it can already be pre-saved on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released in cinemas on Friday 11th November 2022. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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