★★☆☆☆
Well, this is a first. In her 20-year career Rihanna has sold more than 250 million records, launched eye-wateringly successful fashion and cosmetic brands and become the richest musician in the world, with an estimated net worth of £1.2 billion. What she has never done before is be dull.
Yet Lift Me Up — the Barbadian superstar’s first new music in six years and the lead single from the soundtrack to the forthcoming superhero sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — really is pretty forgettable. Yes, it’s flawlessly sung over subtle strings by Rihanna, whose poise and vocal prowess have never been in doubt. The song itself, however, is a ballad of remarkable blandness. It feels mean to knock a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, the
