Rihanna is releasing new music for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the excitement is real

For six long years we’ve waited patiently for Rihanna’s return to music. Her last album, Anti, came out on January 28, 2016, and since then the pop star has established herself as a successful businesswoman, becoming a billionaire thanks to booming brands like Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. Oh, and she also had a baby. 

And now, it’s seemingly been confirmed that new music is finally on the horizon. Last month it was announced that RiRi will headline the Super Bowl halftime show, but as it turns out, she’ll release new music way before February 2023. Rumours have been swirling that Rihanna has recorded two songs that will be featured on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which hits cinemas on November 11. It was all a rumour up until this point, but the timing does make sense, given her Super Bowl slot.

Fans have taken a new update from the Black Panther franchise to confirm the news, however. A teaser shared on Twitter and Instagram sees the Wakanda Forever logo appear, before the ‘R’ comes to the forefront alongside the date of 28 October 2022, suggesting a song may be released before the movie.

And if that didn’t convince you: Rihanna herself commented on the post with a Wakanda salute emoji, and a heart.

Since the gossip dropped Monday morning, Rihanna has subtly stepped into the conversation. The Twitter account PopCrave announced that Rihanna changed the profile picture on her TikTok. The new pic, which is a selfie of the pop icon in a big yellow coat wearing sunglasses, does not hint at any relation to Black Panther, but it does indicate a new era for the recording artist. 

Many fans were shocked when RiRi’s Super Bowl gig was revealed, given her absence from music for so many years. Jokes online arose that the performance would simply be a promotion for Fenty Beauty. But now it’s all starting to make sense….

A version of this article originally appeared on GLAMOUR US.