Was Rihanna Robbed Of The Oscar For Best Original Song?

It’s safe to say that everyone watching the Academy Awards tonight was definitely rooting for Rihanna to win Best Original Song for “Lift Me Up” from the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “Lift Me Up” lost to “RRR” from the film Naatu Naatu during tonight’s Oscars and the same thing happened earlier this year at the Golden Globes. After losing at the January ceremony, Rihanna walked past her competitor’s team with her boo A$AP Rocky and congratulated them with a big smile and blew them a kiss.

Tonight, she looked breathtaking during her ethereal performance of “Lift Me Up.” The song, which featured contributions from Tems, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Gransson, is an ode to resilience and grace. Danai Gurira introduced Rihanna and called the Barbados native royalty in her own right. Gurira also paid homage to the late Chadwick Boseman.

Complete with a string section, Rihanna stood center stage in a sheer jumpsuit covered in diamonds as she delivered an emotional and unforgettable performance. As she finished singing, her man A$AP Rocky raised his glass to toast Rih as he wore a dapper black and white tuxedo.

The Anti artist revealed to the world that she was pregnant with her second child last month during the impressive Super Bowl performance. In addition to expecting her second child, the nine-time Grammy winner also threw the internet in a frenzy with her March 2023 Vogue cover story showing off her adorable nine-month-old son.

Even though our hopes are dashed about this loss, the only Black winner for the night was Ruth E. Carter, who became the first Black woman to win two Oscars for Best Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This feat also made her the first designer to win for both an original film and its sequel. Even though this accomplishment is downright historic, it doesn’t erase the fact that more Black talent should have been celebrated.