A good movie is never complete without a good soundtrack and a good soundtrack can contribute to making a bad movie better. Rihanna has been producing music for a long time now, having a fanbase so big that she is known not just as a brilliant musician but also as a wonderful actress. Her contribution to the entertainment industry has been one that many acknowledge time and again.
Although she had not made music for some time, a grand comeback was made by the singer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie was special in many ways because of the story’s value and the amount of love fans had for the actors involved. Getting Rihanna to make music for the film was the cherry on top. However, there was one reason why she agreed to join.
Oppenheimer Composer Had A Big Role In Rihanna’s Involvement With Black Panther 2
Ryan Coogler admitted that getting Rihanna to make the iconic song was a very conscious decision made purely to respect the themes of the film. When asked about hiring the singer, the director confirmed that he alone was not responsible for it. An important task in front of him was to match the massive success of Black Panther’s album, something Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd had contributed to as well.
“‘Hey, I wanna see this film, I wanna see if I can figure this out. ‘We collaborated with this incredible singer Tems. And she and I wrote the words, Ludwig made the music. The music was recorded on, like, three continents.”
That was not the only task. Having a legendary composer like Ludwig Goransson make music for the movie meant matching the exact tone and attitude to ensure no one was left unsatisfied. Goransson has proven again and again just how wonderful he is with his work. His latest presentation of the same had been with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. It was his contribution that finally convinced the singer to actually make music for the film after she saw just how impactful the trailer had been.
Ryan Coogler Felt It Was Important For the Music to be made by a Woman
Ryan Coogler saw the way Kendrick Lamar’s music spoke to the people. According to him, the words told a story that the fans needed. His hit song Pray for Me was one that touched a lot of hearts because of how synchronized it was with what the movie was showing as well. A similar thought process was needed for the sequel as well. The trailer of Black Panther 2 also featured the musician with the song Alright and another by The Wailers, No Woman No Cry, something that immediately made Rihanna want to be part of the film.
“It made sense that it would be a woman, it made sense that it could be someone who could speak to, not necessarily the words, but the feeling of motherhood, because that’s a major theme in this film.”
For Coogler, he found the perfect person in Rihanna. Having a woman write for the movie was just what he needed and the singer understood the flow of the story perfectly. Lift Me Up became an absolute hit and just like the first film’s soundtrack; the music resonated with the fans effortlessly
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
