The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Rihanna will offer up a rendition of her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever song “Lift Me Up” at the 2023 Academy Awards.
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The show will take place on Sunday, March 12, and will be broadcast live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime show performance on February 12 has propelled her to heights greater than even she likely could have imagined.
For the first time, the pop icon scored five albums on the Billboard 200, all of which are in the top 50. She became only the seventh act in the last 50 years to hold five albums in the top 50 simultaneously.
Rihanna’s Billboard 200 domination was led by her 2016 album, Anti, which jumped from No.50 to No.8. It marked the former chart-topper’s first reign inside the top 10 since 2016, its year of release. It was also the first time that Rihanna had placed any album in the top 10 since Anti in 2016.
Rihanna also found herself in the top 50 with studio albums Good Girl Gone Bad (rising 137-15), Unapologetic (197-18), Loud (a re-entry at No.26), and Talk That Talk (a re-entry at No.49).
Rihanna released a music video for “Lift Me Up” at the end of October. The visual, which was directed by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, features Rihanna singing passionately on an ocean-side beach, as occasional clips from the film highlight her performance.
“Lift me up, hold me down/ Keep me close, safe and sound,” she sings in the chorus, adding later: “Burning in a hopeless dream/ Hold me when you go to sleep/ Keep me in the warmth of your love/ When you depart, keep me safe.”
“Lift Me Up” was written in tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular role in the first Black Panther movie. It was penned by Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler, and is the lead track from the OST Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By. The album will be released on November 4 via Roc Nation Records/Def Jam Recordings/Hollywood Records.
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