Rihanna receives her first Oscar nomination with the original song from ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

She will also compete against Kala Bhairava, whose RRR song “Naatu Naatu” is the first to be nominated in the category for an Indian film.

Rihanna’s portrait is held up on the red carpet at a film premiere.

Who else except Rihanna could essentially vanish from the music scene for almost five years, then make a subdued but significant comeback with two songs from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack—one of which would go on to win her first-ever Academy Award nomination?

The song that appears at the end credits of Marvel’s most recent blockbuster, “Lift Me Up,” is a 2023 Oscar nominee for Best Original Song. For the song “Hold My Hand” from Top Gu𝚗: Maverick, Rihanna will compete against Lady Gaga and Bloodpop; for the song “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, Dianna Warren; for the song “This is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once; and for the song “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, and Rahul Sipligunj.

The song “Naatu Naatu” became the first-ever Indian film song to be nominated for Best Original Song, earning a noteworthy nomination of its own. The song won Best Original Song at the 2023 Golden Globes, when it was nominated with songs by Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Roeben Katz with Guillermo del Toro earlier this month.

“I’m incredibly overwhelmed by this wonderful occasion,” Keeravani said as she accepted the prize. Saying that this prize really belongs to someone else has long been a tradition. Thus, I had intended to refrain from saying such things when I received an honor like this, but I regret to inform you that I will carry out the custom since I really meаn what I sаy. He continued by expressing gratitude to the actors and staff of the movie.

Though it is short, Rihanna has previously been on the soundtracks of three animated films: Home (2015), Sledgehammer (2016), and As Real As You and Me (2015). After the release of “Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s “Born Again” was released.

She will also go up against Kala Bhairava, whose RRR song ‘Naatu Naatu’ becomes the first song from an Indian film to receive a nomination in the category

Portrait of Rihanna shoulders up on the red carpet of a movie premiere

Who but Rihanna could effectively disappear from music for more than half a decade, only to launch a quiet but impactful grand return in the form of two songs created for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and then earn her first-ever Academy Award nomination for one of the tracks?

“Lift Me Up,” the song that plays during the closing credits of Marvel’s latest giant, has been nominated for Best Original Song at the 2023 Oscars. Rihanna will be up against Lady Gaga and Bloodpop for “Hold My Hand” from Top Gu𝚗: Maverick; Dianna Warren for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman; David Byrne, Son Lux, and Mitski for “This is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once; and Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.

“Naatu Naatu” earned a notable nomination of its own, becoming the first-ever song from an Indian film to be nominated for Best Original Song. Earlier this month, the song was nominated at the 2023 Golden Globes for Best Original Song alongside tracks from Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Roeben Katz with Guillermo del Toro – and it won.

“I’m very much overwhelmed with this great moment happening,” Keeravani said upon accepting the award. “It’s been an age-old practice to sаy that this award actually belongs to someone else. So I was planning to not sаy those words when I get an award like this, but I’m sorry to sаy I’m going to repeat the tradition because I meаn my words.” He went on the share thanks with the film’s cast and crew.

Rihanna’s history of soundtrack cuts is brief but includes “As Real As You and Me” and “Dancing in the Dark” from the 2015 animated film Home and “Sledgehammer” from 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. “Born Again,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, followed the release of “Lift Me Up.”