After making us wait for six years and five months, Rihanna is back.
Even though I initially thought Lift Me Up would be a Wakanda-themed push-up bra or contour palette, I’ve finally listened to her latest single for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and I love it.
Co-written by our very own Tems, get ready to feel these emotions in stages while listening to Lift Me Up:
Doubt
We all love Rihanna, but we also know Ms Robyn Fenty can lie for Africa. She’d been saying new music was on the way since 2017, so it makes sense to doubt that she’ll actually sing on this track. If you mistakenly play Lift Me Up’s instrumental instead, the doubt might give way to heartbreak as you wait for vocals that never come.
Fear and anticipation
Once the humming starts, fear and anticipation follow. It’s been six years. What does her voice sound like now? Can she still sing? Will the song be a disaster? Why Black Panther? Are you going to have to defend your fave on the internet in front of the people that call her “The Mary Kay Lady”?
So many questions.
Shock
There’s a high chance you may collapse as soon as you hear Rihanna sing, “Liffffft me up.” You knew the vocals were coming, but it still feels like they come out of nowhere.
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Cue in hot tears
I feel you boo. I’ve missed her too.
As Lift Me Up starts to build up with the strings and backing vocals, you’ll start to lose your shit because of how glorious the song is. There will be tears because Rihanna is back and better, tears because the song actually slaps and more tears when you remember the song is about Chadwick Boseman.
Confusion
Deep in your tears, you start to wonder if it’s Rihanna singing or our sister, Temilade. There’s no way you’ll get through Lift Me Up without pausing to acknowledge Tems’ pen game and vocal influence on the song. Remember when we said Tems and Rihanna are like the same artist? This song confirms it.
Warmth
Lift Me Up is such a beautiful inspirational song that it starts to feel like a warm hug towards the end. You start thinking of all the people you’ve lost, the people you love and how nothing in life is promised. All you can do is love and cherish the moments you have right now.
Anger
Anger sets in when you realise Lift Me Up is just a little over three minutes long. Why? Other artists are making six-minute-long songs, and since we’ve waited impatiently for six years, we deserve a longer song.
Happiness
Rihanna is back, and nature is healing. Goodbye, fuel scarcity. Goodbye, bad boy Buhari. Goodbye, falling Naira. Our mummy has come back to rescue us.
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