Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” has gone Platinum just about five months since the track was released as one of two movie soundtracks for the blockbuster film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Platinum means that a track has sold more than one (1) million copies in the United States and is the second highest certification – with Diamond leading at 10 million copies. The Recording Industry Association of America confirmed the song’s latest certification, which came after her first public performance of the track at the Oscars held on Sunday.
The song was released on October 27th via Rihanna’s record label Westbury Road alongside Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Hollywood Records, ahead of the movie release. It officially marked Rihanna’s comeback to the music scene after a six-year hiatus. The emotional ballad was a tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman who passed away in 2020 after battling cancer in the middle of the shooting of the second film. Boseman was the first Black Panther in the debut film.
The song is also Rihanna’s first solo single since 2016. She also released another track, “Born Again,” for the movie, which went on to break box office records for the second time in a row.
The song gives writing credits to Nigerian artist Tems and film directors Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson. Tems spoke about the creative process and working with the pop star.
“After speaking with Ryan and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life,” Tems said. “I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me, so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
Tems also has a song on the soundtrack of the film. Rihanna recently revealed that she plans to release a new album sometime in 2023 while admitting that her core fans who supported her from day one deserve some new music from her.
In the meantime, Rihanna will be a mommy of two this year. The Bajan singer announced her pregnancy during her blockbuster performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
