Ahead of the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever next week, the star-studded soundtrack for the Marvel sequel has arrived.
Produced by director Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson, Dave Jordan, and Def Jam CCO Archie Davis, the soundtrack features a number of huge names. Among the contributors are Rihanna—who returned after six years with the single “Lift Me Up”—as well as Future, Tems, Burna Boy, Stormzy, Fireboy DML, Ckay, E-40, PinkPantheress, Rema, Snow tha Product, Tobe Nwigwe, and more. As with the previous film’s soundtrack, which was executive produced by Kendrick Lamar, it’s a cinematic affair that spans various genres.
“Ryan and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” said Göransson, who composed the score for Wakanda Forever and its predecessor. “If we used a song in the film, we wanted it to be the entire song, and to be connected to the story. Thematically, we wanted to move the audience from grief to celebration. When you listen to the soundtrack, you can close your eyes and relive the experience of the movie. That was the intention.”
Wakanda Forever is set to arrive in theaters on Friday, Nov. 11. The movie, which will conclude the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four, arrives four years after the Chadwick Boseman-led original. The actor died at age 43 following complications from colon cancer, which he battled privately.
Rihanna’s track “Lift Me Up” serves a tribute to Boseman, who made four posthumous appearances voicing T’Challa in Marvel’s animated What If…? series last year.
Listen to the Wakanda Forever soundtrack below.
