Rihanna fans got an extra surprise early this morning (Nov. 11) when it was confirmed that another new song from the artist, “Born Again,” plays over the end credits of the just-released Marvel blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the track does not appear on the film’s proper soundtrack and is not yet on streaming services.
A big, piano- and-strings-laden ballad, “Born Again” was co-written by Rihanna with longtime collaborator The-Dream as well as James Fauntleroy and Wakanda Forever composer Ludwig Göransson. Its strident “I will survive” vibe certainly evokes the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred as the title character of the original Black Panther film in 2018 but died of cancer in 2020.
As previously reported, Rihanna also has the lead track on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack in the form of “Lift Me Up,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 right behind Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” Göransson and the film’s director Ryan Coogler endeavored to include emerging musicians from Mexico and Lagos, Nigeria, on the album, as the storyline was inspired by Nigerian and Mesoamerican cultures.
Time will tell if either of the new Rihanna songs will find their way into her Super Bowl LVII halftime show performance, which is set for Feb. 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
