After pulling out all the stops for her performance at the Super Bowl last month, Rihanna took a markedly different approach when she made her Oscars debut on Sunday night.
During this year’s ceremony, Rihanna performed the heartfelt ballad Lift Me Up, taken from the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Lift Me Up was nominated for Best Original Song at this year’s Oscars, and while the We Found Love singer has taken a step back from her music career in recent years – instead focussing on her fashion and beauty businesses – the chance to perform at the Academy Awards was clearly something she didn’t want to pass up.
Rihanna’s simple, but beautiful, rendition of Lift Me Up proved to be a true highlight of this year’s event, which also featured performances from Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz.
Lift Me Up’s Best Original Song nod marked the first time Rihanna has been nominated for an Academy Award in her career.
However, her track ultimately lost out to Naatu Naatu, which is featured in the Indian drama RRR, with Lady Gaga, Diane Warren and David Byrne also nominated in the same category this year.
Last month, Rihanna confirmed that she and her partner A$AP Rocky are expecting their second child, during her Super Bowl Halftime performance.
The two musicians previously welcomed a son – with whom Rih can be seen on the cover of the latest issue of British Vogue – last year.
For the full list of this year’s Oscar winners, click here.