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Black Panther’s #LiftMeUp – ‘I thought I’d be shaking my butt, why am I crying?’
Fans had been anticipating a more upbeat song from Rihanna for the Black Panther soundtrack but #LiftMeUp seems to be a hit.
Barbadian singer Rihanna arrives for the world premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on October 26, 2022 | Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP
Music icon and business mogul Rihanna has finally broken her music drought and topped the global trends list across multiple platforms with her Lift Me Up (#LiftMeUp) single for the upcoming Black Panther sequel and it seems to be a hit.
It has been years since the singer released any solo music and all the while, fans have been hounding her to release something.
It was those same Rihanna fans – who are collectively referred to as ‘The Navy’ – that held on to every second of #LiftMeUp on Friday.
Fan reactions
Because Rihanna is known for releasing “bangers,” fans had been anticipating a more upbeat song as her first release following her hiatus. However, #LiftMeUp seems to be a hit among fans who took to social media to share how they feel about the latest Rihanna release.
The ballad also comes after the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman which left countless fans of the Black Panther franchise feeling emotional.
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Knowing that Boseman’s passing will be included in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as a way to honour the late actor has viewers anticipating that the film will leave them feeling emotional. Especially if producers choose to play #LiftMeUp during the moment intended to honour the actor.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ world premiere
According to Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) as they fight to protect their nation from invading world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.
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“As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda,” said Marvel.
The film looks like it will focus heavily on the women of Wakanda and the integral role they will play in determining the future of their nation and the world at large.
The “feminine energy” of the film was also carried through in their music choices for the film.
In addition to managing to secure new music from Rihanna, Marvel put Zambian artist Sampa The Great in the spotlight by selecting her song Never Forget featuring Chef 187, Tio Mason, and Mwanjé to feature in the film’s viral trailer.
Marvel recently hosted a premiere event for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever attended by the film’s stars. Check out what they wore below.
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