Getty Images
Rihanna took the stage at the Oscars on Sunday for a rousing performance of her song “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The performance was straightforward but powerful as Rihanna belted out the moving ballad while being backed by a full orchestra. The performance received a touching introduction from Wakanda Forever’s Danai Gurira, who noted that “Lift Me Up” was written in honor of the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
Her single from the song “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is nominated for Best Original Song, marking Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination. “Lift Me Up” — which Rihanna co-wrote with Tems, Ludwig Göransson, and Ryan Coogler — takes on Sofia Carson and Diane Warren’s “Applause” (from “Tell It Like a Woman”), Lady Gaga, and BloodPop’s “Hold My Hand” ( from Tell It Like a Woman) to Top Gun: Maverick), MM Keeravani’s Naatu Naatu (by RRR) and Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski’s This Is a Life.
After more than five years away from the concert stage, Rihanna has been making waves in the performance spotlight. Ahead of her big Oscars, she made a standout return last month with her halftime performance at the Super Bowl, where she also revealed her pregnancy.
Trending
Days after her triumphant halftime show, she spoke about when her now-mythical album called R9 might be out. “I want it to be this year. Honestly, it would be ridiculous if it wasn’t this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos… And I need the right background music with the pictures,” she said during an interview with Vogue UK. “I can’t just shoot a video while I’m talking.”
While Rihanna hasn’t given a specific release date, whenever her ninth album comes out, it will be the highly-anticipated sequel to 2016’s Anti. Along with “Lift Me Up,” Rihanna also released “Born Again,” which plays during the credits of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”