Darius Rucker released new music on Friday (Feb. 10), sharing a cover of "Lift Me Up" from the 2022 flick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, originally recorded by Rihanna.

The song was written and released as a tribute to the late Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, and it played during the credits of Wakanda Forever. 

Rucker's version of the song is reminiscent of a hymn, beginning with a calm intro featuring the twang of a steel guitar as well as a string section. He begins singing the first words of the song as simple piano chords accompany him.

The music continues to swell as the song goes on, with acoustic guitar, strings and slight percussion making for an inspirational mix featuring a hint of country. All the while, Rucker continues singing the encouraging lyrics of the tune.

"Lift me up / Hold me down / Keep me close / Safe and sound," he repeats throughout the song.

Towards the end, a choir joins Rucker to sing the stirring tune, and but they soon drop off, leaving the country star to sing the final words with the same piano accompaniment as the beginning.

Rucker has a personal reason for wanting to record his own version of "Lift Me Up": He is a fan of the Black Panther movies, and the song personally affected him.

"I’ve been a huge fan of comics since I was a kid, and I love all of the Marvel movies, so I couldn’t wait to see 'Wakanda Forever' when it came out a few months ago,” Rucker says in a press release. "I was so moved by this song playing at the end of the movie and I felt inspired to try my hand at singing it."

"I hope y’all love this version we created as much as I do."

Rucker will have more new music on the way soon: He is currently prepping his forthcoming album, Carolyn's Boy, which will be his first project since 2017's When Was the Last Time. 

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