Latest news with #Afrobeats-sounding
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rihanna Is Dropping Her First Song in 3 Years for ‘Smurfs' Soundtrack
It's not R9, but it still counts for something! Rihanna is set to release her first song in nearly three years this week as part of the upcoming Smurfs movie soundtrack. The star will drop 'Friend of Mine' on Friday, May 16. A snippet of the song was featured in the new trailer that dropped on Wednesday. Based on what can be heard in the clip, 'Friend of Mine' finds the musician singing over an Afrobeats-sounding dance track, 'You're looking like a friend of mine.' The new teaser opens with a shot of Rihanna dancing in the studio as she records the track. More from Rolling Stone A$AP Rocky Gets Criminal Case Record Sealed After Acquittal Rihanna Reveals She's Pregnant With Third Child at Met Gala Jennie's 'Ruby' Is a Fast-Moving Good Time Along with providing music for the film, Rihanna is also the voice of Smurfette. She stars alongside John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, and more in the film, set for a July 18 release date. The soundtrack, meanwhile, will also feature Tyla and the track 'Higher Love' by DJ Khaled, Cardi B, and DESI TRILL, which dropped in February. 'Friend of Mine' will mark Rihanna's first release since 2022's 'Lift Me Up' from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. She hasn't dropped an album since 2016's Anti. While 'Friend of Mine' is sure to holdover fans eagerly awaiting her ninth studio album for a bit, it'll only be a matter of time before they're clamoring for more. Rihanna last provided a real update on her potential next album in February, saying she was 'feeling really optimistic' about the music she had been working on. 'This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this. This body needs to come out, and I'm ready to go there. This is becoming my new freedom, because when I'm in the studio, I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn't been watered in eight years. I've been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn't hit me. I was searching for it,' she said. She continued, 'I went through phases of what I wanted to do. 'This kind of album, not that album.' I know it's not going to be anything that anybody expects. And it's not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It's going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I've finally cracked it, girl!' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Rihanna set to break her 3-year music hiatus. Here's when she will release new song
RiRi's musical magic will be back! After a three-year music hiatus, Rihanna is Smurfing her way back onto the scene. The singer will be releasing a song, Friend of Mine, which is a part of the upcoming Smurfs film. Also read: A$AP Rocky confirms baby No. 3 with Rihanna at the 2025 Met Gala On Wednesday, the singer shared the news along with a trailer for the film, which also features snippets of the song. Based on what can be heard in the clip, Friend of Mine finds the musician singing over an Afrobeats-sounding dance track, 'You're looking like a friend of mine'. The new teaser begins with the superstar grooving in the studio as she records the track. Friend of Mine marks Rihanna's first new music since Lift Me Up in 2022, which was featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It's also been eight years since she dropped her last studio album, Anti, in 2016. Rihanna gave an update about her next album in February, where she expressed optimism about her ongoing music projects. Rihanna remains one of the biggest pop stars in the business despite not releasing an album since 2016. Rihanna has lent her voice to the Smurfs film along with John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman and Sandra Oh. Apart from being a voice talent, she is also serving as a producer on the project. Friend of Mine will be released on May 16, while Smurfs is scheduled to be released on July 18. Earlier this month, the Diamonds singer revealed her third pregnancy ahead of her appearance at the 2025 Met Gala. She debuted her baby bump while leaving The Carlyle Hotel in New York City en route to the Met. The singer was wearing a grey two-piece skirt set, paired with matching knee-high socks and grey heels. She used a brown fur scarf to subtly cover her baby bump. Rihanna welcomed her first son, RZA, with A$AP Rocky in May 2022, followed by the birth of their second son, Riot Rose, in August 2023. She famously revealed her second pregnancy during the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Back in 2023, in an interview with British Vogue, Rihanna spoke about the life-changing experience of becoming a mother for the first time. She said, 'It was beautiful. I cannot believe it. Essentially, from one person I became two. You walk into the hospital as a couple and leave as a family of three. It's nuts".
