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Rihanna took the stage at the Oscars on Sunday for a rousing interpretation of her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever the song “Lift Me Up”.
The performance was straightforward but powerful as Rihanna belted out the moving ballad while backed by a full orchestra. The performance received a touching introduction from Wakanda foreverDanai Gurira, who noted that “Lift Me Up” was written in honor of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
Her single from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever the song 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 – is up against Sofia Carson and Diane Warren’s “Applause” (from Tell it like a woman), Lady Gaga and BloodPop’s “Hold My Hand” (from Top Gun: Maverick), MM Keeravani’s “Naatu Naatu,” (from 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 made waves in the show’s spotlight. Ahead of her big Oscars performance, she made a stunning comeback with her Super Bowl break last month, where she also revealed she was pregnant.
Days after her triumphant halftime show, she talked about when her now legendary album, dubbed R9, can come. “I want it this year. Honestly, it would be ridiculous if it’s not 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 visuals,” she said during an interview with Vogue UK. “I can’t just go and record a video for me and talk.”
While Rihanna hasn’t given details on the release date, when her ninth album drops, it will be the long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s Anti. In addition to “Lift Me Up,” Rihanna also released “Born Again,” which plays below as the end credits roll for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.