Rihanna has earned herself another accolade with her first Academy Awards nomination thanks to her recent single “Lift Me Up.”
The poignant tribute track to the late Chadwick Boseman appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and will compete in the music’s Best Original Song category.
Others credited alongside RiRi include co-writers Ryan Coogler, who directed the film, and Tems, as well as producer Ludwig Goransson.
You can listen to “Lift Me Up” below:
Rihanna’s main competition appears to be another pop titan in Lady Gaga for her contribution to Top Gun: Maverick with “Hold My Hand” as well as Diane Warren’s work on “Applause” from Tell It Like A Woman. It’s Warren’s 14th nomination in the category.
Taylor Swift was snubbed from her first nomination at the 95th Academy Awards as Where the Crawdads Sing‘s “Carolina” failed to make the final cut after being included on the original shortlist.
The 2023 Oscars are set for March 12, but before Rihanna turns her focus to the Academy Awards, she’s gearing up to return to the stage for the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12.
“Oh man, I’m just as excited as you guys — if not more,” her boyfriend A$AP Rocky said of the highly-anticipated show in a recent interview. “I’m super excited. This is huge, this is incredible. I’m so glad that my lady is back making music again and what not, and getting back out there, you know?”
The Harlem native continued: “It’s incredible, especially for both of us. It’s a good year for both of us to be more active and be out there. But the Super Bowl is huge. The creative that she is, she’s going to bring it, man.”
The performance will mark the Bajan billionaire’s first appearance at the Super Bowl and first major performance since the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, where she delivered a career-spanning medley of hits to coincide with her receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
JAY-Z is reportedly helping Rihanna put the performance together. Hov has served as the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist since 2019 and actually signed Rihanna to Def Jam in 2005 during his brief presidency at the iconic label.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” Jay said in a recent statement about the Halftime show. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
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