Fans have long awaited Rihanna’s return to music, and it’s finally happening — though maybe not in the way fans anticipated. The singer’s last musical release was the single “Lift Me Up” for the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Since then, the internet has been asking tirelessly, when will Rihanna drop more music? Well, Rihanna will be making her comeback to music with yet another movie soundtrack. But this time it’s for… the Smurfs?
That’s right. Rihanna’s upcoming single “Friend of Mine,” dropping May 16, was recorded for the Smurfs movie soundtrack. Fans got a sneak peek of the song via a trailer for the movie, which was released on May 14. The beginning of the trailer shows Rihanna laughing in the studio, wearing a blue tracksuit with blue beads in her braids — fitting for the occasion. According to Billboard, the song is an “Afrobeats-inspired dance track,” with lyrics like “You’re looking like a friend of mine.” The trailer also teases the movie’s story, in which the smurfs must travel to the real world to rescue Papa Smurf from the evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel. The movie itself is set to release on July 18.
While at first this release may be kind of confusing to fans, it actually makes total sense. Rihanna is playing Smurfette in the movie, lending her voice alongside James Corden, Sandra Oh, John Goodman, and Nick Offerman. Rihanna is also acting as an executive producer on the film, and said at Cinemacon 2023 that she “hope[s] this gives [her] cool points with [her] kids one day.” Seeing the Smurfs movie wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card but now, I might have to.
Speaking of kids, Rihanna has been wearing a lot of hats lately. At the 2025 Met Gala, the singer announced that she’s expecting her third baby with her partner, A$AP Rocky. She’s also been at work with her cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty, of which she is the founder, owner, and CEO. In other words, voice actress and executive producer will be great additions to her already long list of titles. Rihanna is about as multi-talented as they come.
Alongside Rihanna on the Smurfs soundtrack will be Tyla, as well as Cardi B, DJ Khaled, and DESI TRILL with their song “Higher Love”, which was released in February.
Now, does this mean Rihanna will eventually be releasing a new album? Fans sure hope so! Her last album, Anti, came out in 2016, leaving the world itching for more music. When asked on the Met Gala red carpet if her pregnancy would delay a new album, Rihanna responded by saying, “No… maybe a few videos, but I could sing.”