Fresh off her stint performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna is once again taking her talents to a big stage. The living pop music legend is set to perform "Lift Me Up" from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack at this year's Oscars ceremony on Sunday, March 12. The track is nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and was written by Ludwig Göransson, Tems, Ryan Coogler and Rihanna herself.
As of publication, she's the only performer among the nominated Original Songs announced by the Academy. Although, we anticipate that the powers that be behind the ceremony will soon announce other performers, as it is pretty standard for musicians to perform songs nominated for Best Original Song. This year, the category is rounded out by the following fellow nominees:
- "Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman by Diane Warren
- "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
- "Naatu Naatu" from RRR by M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose
- "This Is a Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski, Ryan Lott and David Byrne
Expect the Academy to announce additional musicians taking to the stage in the coming days.
Pivoting back to the "Umbrella" singer, her Oscar performance puts her in a very unique class. She now joins Wednesday star Catherine Zeta-Jones as the only person in recent memory to perform at the Academy Awards while pregnant. We can't help but to think how fortunate her second child is to be on some of the world's biggest stages having not yet even been born.
Now unlike at the Super Bowl, we don't envision her live rendition of "Lift Me Up" will be quite as energetic given the song is more of a ballad. Plus, given the track is in many ways a tribute to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, we anticipate she'll honor him with a moving performance piece.
Be sure you tune into the 95th Academy Awards to catch Rihanna on stage and see if she will be able to capture an Oscar trophy. While nominated for other awards like a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, to date, the most high-profile honor the song has received is an NAACP Image Award.
Listen to "Lift Me Up" directly below:
The 2023 Oscars air on Sunday, March 12, on ABC at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
