Lili is back.
On Friday, Rihanna made her musical comeback with a new song after three years. The track, titled “My Friend,” is set to play a significant role in the upcoming “Smurfs” movie, which hits theaters on July 18th.
The lyrics capture a feeling of familiarity: “Ah, I think the word here is ‘deja vu’; I met you tonight, and you feel like my friend. Why are things so familiar yet so brand new?”
Before the official release, the singer, whose full name is Robin Rihanna Fenty, shared a teaser on X along with a new trailer for the animated film.
Rihanna wrote on May 14th, “The new Smurfs trailer featuring ‘Friend of Mine’ from the Smurfs soundtrack. Pre-save now.”
In the upcoming “Smurfs,” she will lend her voice to a character alongside Kurt Russell, John Goodman, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Dan Levy, and James Corden. Interestingly, she’s also involved as a producer for the film.
The family-friendly movie, directed by Chris Miller, follows Rihanna’s character and the other Smurfs as they embark on a mission to save Papa Smurf (Goodman) from an evil wizard.
In a light-hearted moment, Rihanna joked about her audition for the role of Papa Smurf, saying, “I tried to win the role, but it didn’t work.”
“Friend of Mine” marks Rihanna’s first new release since “Lift Me Up,” which came out on October 28, 2022. That song quickly reached second place on the Billboard Hot 100 and went Platinum.
The pop star hasn’t dropped an album since 2016’s “Anti,” which included hits like “Work,” “Needed Me,” and “Kiss It Better.” Reflecting on her earlier music, she remarked, “I made a lot of really big songs. They just exploded, and I wanted to come back with something that felt timeless.”
Rihanna, who recently announced she is expecting her third child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, shared the news during the 2025 Met Gala on May 5th.
Despite her pregnancy, she reassured fans that it wouldn’t hold up the release of her long-awaited ninth album, referred to as “R9.” “No, it won’t!” she said when asked if the baby would delay the album.
“Maybe a few videos,” she added, “But I can sing.”
