The story of Rihanna’s is one of collective grief and a long-awaited return. It serves as both a personal milestone for the singer and a cinematic tribute to a fallen hero. The Inspiration
: Tems shared that she wanted the song to feel like a "warm embrace" from the people she had lost in her own life. She imagined what she would say if she could sing to them one last time. Rihanna - Lift Me Up
: Ryan Coogler viewed the track as a lullaby . He noted that just as a parent puts a child to bed, there comes a point where a child must "put their parent to bed," drawing a parallel between the cycle of life, sleep, and death. Rihanna’s Return The story of Rihanna’s is one of collective
: Critics noted that the song moved away from the high-energy production of her past hits, opting for a stripped-down R&B ballad featuring strings and piano. She imagined what she would say if she
The song was written specifically for the Marvel film as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman , who died in 2020. To capture the right emotion, director Ryan Coogler collaborated with Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems , Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson , and Rihanna herself.