Darius Rucker Covers Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up”

Showcasing the rich baritone Darius Rucker offers a powerful take on Rihanna’s Oscar-nominated “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” theme song, “Lift Me Up,” with his version of the anthemic ballad available everywhere now. (Listen above)

Written by Rihanna together with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson and Nigerian singer Tems as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the original “Black Panther,” the song plays over the end credits of the film, which is where Rucker first fell in love with its message.

“I’ve been a huge fan of comics since I was a kid, and I love all of the Marvel movies, so I couldn’t wait to see ‘Wakanda Forever’ when it came out a few months ago,” explains Rucker. “I was so moved by this song playing at the end of the movie and I felt inspired to try my hand at singing it. I hope y’all love this version we created as much as I do.”

The release comes as Rucker puts the finishing touches on his forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, and follows the news earlier this week that his Riverfront Revival Music Festival will return to Charleston this fall for its second year.