Rihanna Back in Music With “Friend of Mine”

After a hiatus that saw her conquer the worlds of beauty and fashion and embrace motherhood, Rihanna is making a long-awaited return to her musical roots. The singer has unveiled “Friend Of Mine,” a previously unreleased electro-pop song from the original soundtrack of the movie “The Smurfs,” expected to be released on July 16, 2025. This marks her first musical offering in over two years.

Rihanna’s return to music comes as a surprise to many, given her focus on her business ventures and motherhood in recent years. The singer has become a mother of two children: RZA, born on May 13, 2022, and Riot Rose, born on August 1, 2023. While she revealed her third pregnancy on the red carpet of the Met Gala on May 5, 2025, Rihanna has indeed returned to the studios for a brand new track.

A Track for the Smurfs Movie Soundtrack

The day before the song’s release, Rihanna posted a video on her Instagram account announcing the upcoming release of “Friend Of Mine,” showing herself smiling in a blue tracksuit top in a recording studio. The song is ultimately quite logical, given Rihanna’s involvement in the Smurfs movie. She will lend her voice to the famous character of Smurfette, and is also a co-producer of the film. John Goodman, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, and Octavia Spencer will complete the voice cast of the feature film.

A Long-Awaited Return to Music

Rihanna’s last album, “ANTI,” dates back to 2016, and she has kept the possibility of its successor’s release uncertain. Her last single, “Lift Me Up,” was released in 2022 for the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and was nominated for an Oscar and Grammy Awards. With “Friend Of Mine,” Rihanna is back in the music scene, and fans are eagerly awaiting more music from the singer.