Rihanna is back. She released „Lift Me Up,“ her single for ‚Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.‘ Here’s the meaning behind the heartfelt record and lyrics.
“Lift me up. Hold me down. Keep me close. Safe and sound.”
After a six-year hiatus from the music scene, Rihanna has returned. On Oct. 28, the singer released her ballad, “Lift Me Up,” which appears on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. This release isn’t just a comeback. It’s a moving sermon, fitting for both its intended remembrance of the late Chadwick Boseman and its cathartic, communal release after years of grieving, well, just about everything.
There’s a reason Rihanna is music’s “pope,” as confirmed by her papal look at the 2019 Met Gala. Her vocals on “Lift Me Up,” which sonically moves as a church prayer and weepy lullaby, are her most raw to date. She’s always had a distinct voice, with her tone mostly swimming in lower registers. Thankfully, her deeper octaves on full display here perfectly carry the song’s message.
“Lift Me Up” is a comforting memorial — a church service, even — for Boseman, who died in August 2020 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. His glorious portrayal of King T’Challa in the franchise had such a global impact, and that impinging force can be seen in the sequel’s trailer where the people of Wakanda memorialized him at an all-white funeral.
