Fans React to Rihanna's New Song 'Friend of Mine'
When we said we wanted Rihanna to go back to music, a new song from the Smurfs movie soundtrack isn't exactly what we meant, but we'll take it. The singer-turned beauty mogul-turned actor dropped her first single in years on Friday, and the fan reaction to Rihanna's new single 'Friend of Mine' is both ecstatic and confused.
As a song, 'Friend of Mine' relies less on Rihanna's vocals and more on a dance beat. In fact, she barely sings more than a couple lines that simply repeat throughout the song. It's a far cry from her last musical release, 'Lift Me Up,' the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever track which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. But Rihanna fans know that beggars can't be choosers, and if this is what Rihanna is willing to give us, then we'll take it!
Fans have been waiting for a new Rihanna album—affectionately known as R9—ever since she dropped her last full-length album, Anti, in 2016. Since then, she's taken over the beauty world with her brand Fenty Beauty, welcomed two kids, and headlined the Super Bowl Halftime show. New music, however, has been few and far between, which is why fans held high hopes for this new single—even if it is coming courtesy of this summer's animated SMURFS movie.
Needless to say, the reaction to 'Friend of Mine' has been mixed. Some are just grateful for the crumbs while others are joking that maybe they're fine with Rihanna sticking to her makeup brand. 'yk what we'll let u sell the makeup it's okay girl,' wrote one fan on Twitter. Another wrote, 'girl at this point we'll take what we can get i guess.'
Writer Nicolas-Tyrell Scott theorized that Rihanna was trolling all of us with this new track, tweeting, 'Barely saying more than 'you feel like a friend of mine' across the song is k*lling me. She's such a troll and I find it so hilarious as someone who is content with her ending her music career here if she wishes.' And author Bolu Babalola added, 'She's a comedian.'
At this point in her career, it's clear that Rihanna is just going to do what she wants, when she wants it. And if right now what she wants is to voice Smurfette and singe an original song for the film, then that's what she'll do.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Love Island' Contestant Issues Apology After Being Removed From Show For Saying The N-Word
Shortly after Peacock announced the "Love Island USA" cast in late May 2025, video clips of a new islander, Yulissa Escobar, saying the N-word on a previous podcast went viral online. During the season's second episode, which aired on June 4, 2025, the "Love Island USA" narrator, Iain Stirling, announced that producers had removed Escobar from the villa, which many fans assumed was due to her past problematic statements. Now, after some time to process the news that she'd no longer be in the running for the $100,000 grand prize on the most recent season of "Love Island," Escobar released an apology, which has drawn a mixed reaction from fans. On Instagram, Escobar posted a graphic that read, "Owning my mistakes; speaking my truth." In the caption, she wrote, "First, I want to apologize for using a word I had no right in using," referring to viral clips of her using the N-word while speaking about men during a previous podcast episode. "In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur," she wrote. "I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it." She continued, "I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use." Elsewhere, in her caption, Escobar explained that when she used the word, she was "speaking casually in conversation" and wasn't thinking "deeply or critically" about how her words could impact others. "The truth is, I didn't know better then, but I do now. I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment," she added. "I've changed a lot since then, not just in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and how I honor the experiences of others," Escobar continued. "Growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it's uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability." As she finished, the now-former reality star explained that she was choosing to speak for herself and did not want anyone commenting on her behalf. "I'm choosing to speak for myself because I take full ownership of my actions. Do not listen to the fake statements. This is my official statement. This is me, speaking directly to you," she wrote. On X, formerly Twitter, many "Love Island" viewers voiced their opinions about Escobar's statement, with many questioning its sincerity. "Girl, you just got kicked out of the villa," one user wrote. "How much time have you really taken to reflect on this?" "I understand why they chose to have her exit the villa, but she didn't learn anything by that," another user commented. "This apology may or may not have been genuine. Having her stay in the villa and understand the weight of the word would have either been a better lesson or shown viewers how she really feels." "Not understanding the weight, history, or pain of the word? I don't buy it," a user posted. "It doesn't take thinking 'deeply or critically' to know not to say the number one racial slur," another user shared. "This is so embarrassing." However, under Escobar's Instagram post, the 27-year-old also received support from a handful of followers. One user said, "Everybody makes mistakes," while another said, "Life is about growth and learning." "We live, we learn, and we grow!" a third commented. "This doesn't define you. Sending you warm hugs." Since Escobar's exit from the villa, "Love Island USA" producers have brought in two new cast members to turn up the heat, bringing the current lineup to 11. For the women, the cast includes: Chelley Bissainthe, 27, from Orlando, Florida Olandria Carthen, 27, from Decatur, Alabama Huda Mustafa, 24, from Raleigh, North Carolina Belle-A Walker, 22, from Honolulu Cierra Ortega, 25, from Arizona For the men, the cast includes: Austin Shepard, 26, from Northville, Michigan Ace Greene, 22, from Los Angeles Taylor Williams, 24, from Oklahoma City Jeremiah Brown, 25, from Los Angeles Nicolas Vansteenberghe, 24, from Jacksonville, Florida Charlie Georgiou, 27, from the United Kingdom
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ryan Gosling's ‘Star Wars: Starfighter': Everything to know as Mia Goth takes on the Mikey Madison role
This is as close as we're going to get a Barbie-MaXXXine crossover. Mia Goth is joining the new Ryan Gosling-powered Star Wars installment, Starfighter, taking over the role originally offered Anora Oscar winner Mikey Madison. The casting coup is the latest scrap of news about the anticipated project, which will be helmed by Shawn Levy and which had its coming-out party at Star Wars Celebration in April 2025. Here's everything we know so far about Star Wars: Starfighter. More from GoldDerby Danya Taymor could make Tony Awards history with a win for 'John Proctor Is the Villain' How 'Severance' creates Lumon's 'manufactured perfection' through VFX 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' The are scant details about the plot, other than it is a one-off installment that involves Ryan Gosling's character and his young companion being pursued by villainous forces. Levy says that Starfighter will cover new territory in franchise storytelling and won't feature any of the major characters from prior releases. 'This is a standalone. It's not a prequel, not sequel. It's a new adventure. It's set in a period of time that we haven't seen explored yet,' the filmmaker said. 'The reality is that this script is just so good. It has such a great story with great and original characters,' said Gosling. 'It's filled with so much heart and adventure, and there just really is not a more perfect filmmaker for this particular story than Shawn.' Starfighter the movie is not related to the 2001 video game of the same name from LucasArts that was set on the planet of Naboo during the time period of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Starfighter takes place about five years after the events of the last Star Wars feature, 2019's Rise of Skywalker. READ: Levy, a four-time Emmy nominee for Stranger Things and whose credits also include Deadpool & Wolverine, Free Guy and Night at the Museum, has been developing the project for the past three years with screenwriter Jonathan Tropper. The two previously collaborated on The Adam Project and This Is Where I Leave You. Gosling, a three-time Oscar nominee, was formally introduced as the lead at Star Wars Celebration after weeks of speculation. "That rumor is true," Levy said as he brought out his star to the stage to massive cheers. "The rumors are true." According to Variety, Mikey Madison was initially offered the female lead one of the baddies hunting down Gosling and his young sidekick. Madion reportedly turned down the role due to a pay dispute. It was confirmed that Mia Goth had accepted the role in June 2025. The news was initially reported by The InSneider. No other casting has been announced. Starfighter is slated to begin production in fall 2025 in England. Starfighter is scheduled to open May 28, 2027. Best of GoldDerby Stephen King movies: 14 greatest films ranked worst to best 'The Life of Chuck' cast reveal their favorite Stephen King works, including Mark Hamill's love of the 'terrifying' 'Pet Sematary' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Friend of Mine' Co-Producer Jon Bellion: Rihanna's New Single Resulted From ‘A Bunch of People Having a Blast'
At first blush, Rihanna's 'Friend of Mine' does not sound like a single from a kids movie. Unlike the superstar's previous soundtrack work for films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Home, which tended to veer toward sweeping pop balladry, 'Friend of Mine' is a thumping club track, with Rihanna's voice positioned as an elliptical refrain over a house beat. Jon Bellion, who co-wrote and co-produced the track last year, was initially surprised to hear that the song would be featured in the upcoming Smurfs film, in which Rihanna is voicing Smurfette. Then he considered the sonic profile of 'Friend of Mine,' and understood its mass appeal. 'From a product standpoint, I don't think you get such major chords and such a positive [message] over a dance record that doesn't sound like a kids movie too often,' he tells Billboard. 'So when do you nail the feel-good, family-friendly, high-taste, deep '90s nostalgia, that can also be played into the kids movie? Shoot it out into the world!' More from Billboard Nessa Barrett Announces 2025 Australian Arena Tour Sombr Announces 2025 Australia and New Zealand Headline Tour Eddie Vedder Covers Springsteen's 'My City of Ruins' After Trump Clash That's exactly what Rihanna did on Friday (May 16) with 'Friend of Mine,' which precedes the Smurfs soundtrack (out June 13 through Roc Nation Distribution) and her star turn in the Smurfs film (in theaters July 18). Three years after her last music release, Rihanna has offered 'Friend of Mine' as a long-awaited check-in with fans, and an unexpected song of the summer bid. The song came together during one of Bellion's writing camps at his vacation home in the Hamptons last summer, with the studio veteran producing the song with Pete Nappi and Fallen, and all three receiving co-writing credits along with Elijah Noll, Elkan, Tenroc and Rihanna. That group of writers and producers are part of Beautiful Mind Projects, Bellion's management, publishing and label company, and Bellion — who's helped artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Maroon 5 score pivotal hits in recent years — says that the energy heard on 'Friend of Mine' is a reflection of his collective's collaborative spirit. 'It was a bunch of people having a blast, doing a music camp together, jamming on some DJ s–t and playing chords and just having fun,' he says. 'And I think that that's probably why it ended up sounding so new. It just felt like a natural thing, with a bunch of guys who like being around each other and want to make great s–t.' 'Working with [Jon] is always exciting because you know you're going to walk away with a real song,' the producer Fallen, who's also worked with artists like Doja Cat and Summer Walker, tells Billboard in a statement. 'He sees things through. He's the kind of person who will spend an entire week on a single track if that's what it takes. We spent about three days on 'Friend of Mine,' just refining and dialing it in. Coming from the hip-hop world, I'm used to making five songs in a single session, so this level of detail was new for me. But it's been the most valuable lesson I've learned working with him.' One of Bellion's earliest hits as a co-writer was 'The Monster,' the 2013 smash from Eminem and Rihanna that topped the Hot 100 chart for four weeks. In the decade-plus since that breakthrough, he's stayed in touch with Rihanna's team, and says that he's contributed 'a couple songs' to her camp over the years that have yet to be released. Considering that Rihanna's output has been scant since her 2016 album ANTI, Bellion was uncertain that 'Friend of Mine' would see the light of day, but the spontaneity of the track's creation stood out in his mind when it came together last year. 'The song is raw — like, she didn't really mix it further than the two track that we sent out,' he says. 'We [sent] it out, and I had it on my phone for a few days, and I just remember, every morning I'd wake up listening to it. I'd listen to it in the shower, like, 'This is kind of jamming!'' Bellion couldn't recall another Rihanna single that sounded quite like 'Friend of Mine' — and he says that, at some point after the song was finished, the realization hit him that unexplored territory was exactly what she had been searching for. 'She's not looking for 'We Found Love 2.0,' or 'Work 2.0,'' he says. 'The arrangement and the feel feels all very new — very cutting-edge, in front of what the next wave will be, because she usually tries to do that every time she puts something out.' 'Friend of Mine' arrives shortly before Bellion's third studio album, Father Figure, is released on June 6; the project marks his first solo full-length in seven years, and features guest turns from Luke Combs, Pharrell Williams and Jon Batiste. While Father Figure includes deeply personal reflections on fatherhood and its challenges, Bellion is glad that 'Friend of Mine' has arrived a few weeks beforehand, to give him a chance to pull off something he has yet to accomplish professionally. 'My whole career, I've wanted [a song] that plays at all the events — all the baby showers and sweet sixteens and wedding and Bar Mitzvahs,' Bellion says with a laugh. 'I don't think I've ever really had one of those, so it feels great, and hopefully it does well.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
