Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The year 2023 is shaping up to be Rihanna‘s, given that the Barbadian artist has a lot to celebrate, personally and professionally. After announcing her second pregnancy at the record-breaking Super Bowl Halftime show, the newly-minted 35-year-old is gearing up for her first Academy Awards as a nominee. Rihanna will not be living the memorable moment by only sitting among the audience, but will also take the stage to perform the track with which she is in the Oscars race.
On February 24, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Rihanna will be performing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the 95th Academy Awards on March 12. Created with Tems, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson, the track is nominated for best original song, alongside Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman; Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick; NTR and Ram Charan’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; and Son Lux, Mitski, and David Byrne’s “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once. The heartfelt song is also a tribute to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman and marked Rihanna’s first solo song since her last album, Anti, which came out in 2016.
Rihanna singing at the Oscars will be the second time fans will see her on stage since the Halftime show, which had been her first performance in nearly seven years. However, it may definitely not be the last, seeing as the singer-songwriter is working on her highly-anticipated ninth album. “I want it to be this year,” she recently told British Vogue. “Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos.”
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