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Rihanna gave an exciting performance of Black Panther: Wakanda forever as a tribute song to Chadwick Boseman at the 2023 Oscars.
Danai Gurira who played Okoye in the Marvel movies introduced Rihanna as "royalty in her own right."
The business mogul took the stage at Dolby Theatre on Sunday and sang "Lift Me Up" with so much enthusiasm at the 95th annual Academy Awards show as she wore a black ensemble with sheer beautification that revealed her bump.
“Lift Me Up” is Rihanna’s first single after a long drought of new material being released, and it earned the singer her first Oscar nod.
The music was created by Rihanna, Tems, “Black Panther 2” director Ryan Coogler and composer Ludwig Göransson, with Tems and Coogler penning the lyrics.
Many in the audience at the Dolby Theatre and at home were struck by the power and emotiveness of her live vocals.
Rihanna Lift me Up Oscars 2023 Full Performance Oscars 2023
The Popstar received loud applause from the audience including Oscar-nominated Black Panther actress Angella Bassett and her partner Asap Rock who raised his glass in celebration.
Rihanna, who is pregnant with her second child, joked on Instagram ahead of the awards show about her son being disappointed to learn he would have to stay home while his new sibling attended the show.
"my son when he found out his sibling is going to the Oscars and not him," she wrote. But the host Jimmy Kimmel revealed that Rihanna's baby was in the backstage.
" Rihanna has a nine-month-old backstage. He's very cute. He pooped during rehearsal. Do you know who the last person was to poop backstage at the Oscars?" Kimmel said.
"Lift Me Up" was nominated for the original song, up against “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”.
The group faced stiff competition in the best original song category.
Previous winner Lady Gaga was nominated with Bloodpop for Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, while David Byrne, Ryan Lott, and Mitski landed a nod for Everything Everywhere All at Once's This Is a Life.
