One of the most anticipated movies of 2022 will soon be hitting the silver screen. Premiering on November 11, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the second installment to the saga and will show Wakanda’s fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.

Marvel debuted the film’s original soundtrack ahead of the movie release. The lead single, “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, broke records by becoming the most added song in U.S. radio history, according to a Marvel press release. The song debuted on the Billboard charts at number 1.

The soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever features over 40 international artists, including fan-favorites such as Rihanna, Tems, E-40, Future, CKay and PinkPantheress. 

Ludwig Göransson, who is an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar-winner composer and producer, is the mind behind the film soundtrack. “The songs and score are one,” he said. Göransson spent over 2500 hours recording the score and soundtrack, which involved six studios, across three continents and five countries. The audience will be able to hear over 250 musicians, two orchestras, two choirs and over 40 vocalists in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Göransson also worked closely with Ryan Coogler, the film director, in the making of the original soundtrack. The two USC Film School graduates were able to finally team up on this project.

Coogler co-wrote lyrics on Rihanna’s track  “Lift Me Up.” He also was the one to think of covering Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and meshing it with Kendrick Lamar “Alright” for the movie trailer.

“Ryan and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” said Göransson. “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.”

To compose the film soundtrack and score, the artists decided to celebrate Nigerian and Mesoamerican cultures. The soundtrack includes emerging rappers from Mexico, such as Pat Boy, who raps in Mayan.
You can now listen to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s soundtrack on all streaming services. The film’s original score will be available on November 11, when the film premieres in theaters.

About Kyra: Kyra Alessandrini is a news writer at Girls United and a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in publications such as Time, The Hollywood Reporter, InStyle, and Elle. Born in New York and raised in Paris, France, she is passionate about culture, street photography, and travel.