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.

: Rihanna joined the project after being moved by the film's direction and the opportunity to honor Boseman's legacy.

Released on October 28, 2022, "Lift Me Up" marked Rihanna’s first solo musical release in .

: 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