Rihanna Lends a Stirring, Soulful Song for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Musically, after remaining silent for over six years on a solo project, Robyn Rihanna Fenty has released a single attached to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). As she became a billionaire and a mother in that time, she has maintained the pipes to control her mezzo-soprano singing voice.

“Lift Me Up” reflects its inspirational title.

Written by Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Temilade Openiy, and Robyn herself, the track envelopes the listener in a down beat and provides a warm tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman.

Director Coogler wanted the song to be a powerful, somber recognition of Boseman’s touch on the lives of anyone with which he interacted. He elevated because of his presence.

Robyn’s controlled and measured voice heightens the dramatic thrust in front of the piano, harp and other strings involved in the piece.

It’s tough to compare other divas, but this is like Beyoncé’s “Halo” that serves as a wondrous display of words and sounds. “Lift” represents the pain and anguish that is often shoveled onto the lives of people. Robyn makes use of the sound as if a sculptor shapes clay. Her instrument, her voice, meets the music and the gel of the words and sounds pair like wine and truffles.

Robyn remains a navigator traversing the sea of uncertainty in the world. The writers weave a story in the song without a plot. It is a tale told by brilliant people who make known the power of overcoming trauma. The line, “Hold me when you go to sleep/ Keep me in the warmth of your love/ When you depart, keep me safe/Safe and sound.” She speaks the lyrics “safe and sound” in the chorus as well for emphasis.

This repetition of these lines highlight the might behind the beautiful, lingering, and sparse words to the song. Robyn obviously doesn’t have to keep her day job as a singer any more. Yet, she shows up and stands proud against the gusts of wind of the industry that has seen so much turmoil these past couple of weeks with her collaborator Ye.

She realized that she would have to make a statement and continue to bring about the same level of power and glory that would normally be found in a new artist with something to prove. While she has been a veteran in the game for over seventeen years, she sings as if she first started. Her voice is sure, unafraid, and true.

In the short time that the songstress spends offering a remembrance to Boseman, she cuts through the static around her and solidifies her place among the true singers not just of her age but of any other era.

“Lift Me Up” brings to fore the emotional strain of becoming a certified brand on a large scale, a mother, and a force still within the arena of R&B. In a time where another billionaire mogul, Diddy, has declared “R&B to be dead,” Robyn blasts away this notion. With this track off of a soundtrack, there are still heartbeats in the body of the genre.

This low-key and transformative experience is all packed into a song with just a few lines. It’s a little ditty which expresses the maturity of an artist who eulogizes, energizes, and inspires anyone who needs respite from the dreary news items of the day.

The point of “Lift Me Up” is to speak on loss while still hoping for the lives of those still around. Boseman was a beacon amongst a wasteland. A true talent, and a rational soul, Robyn did the man justice and displayed a spirit of acknowledgment from one artist to another.