African artists feature on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack album

The artists include Nigeria’s Rema, Ckay, Tems, Fireboy and Burna Boy, and South Africa’s DBN Gogo, Sino Msolo, Kamo Mphela, Young Stunna and Busiswa

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By soundtrack was released today via Roc Nation Records/Def Jam Recordings/Hollywood Records. It is available for streaming and download across major digital platforms.

The 19-track project, which was heralded last week by Rihanna’s lead single ‘Lift Me Up’, features over 40 international artists recorded in Lagos, Mexico City, London and Los Angeles, as the story is inspired by both Nigerian and Mesoamerican cultures. 

Other acts of African heritage on the album include British-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy and Nigerian-American hip hop act Tobe Nwigwe.

The soundtrack to the film’s first instalment, released in February 2018, features African artists Baaba Maal, Babes Wodumo, Saudi, Yugen Blakrok and Sjava. Over the course of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, audiences will hear over 250 musicians, two orchestras and two choirs.

Celebrated Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson, who has won two Emmys, two Grammys and an Oscar, worked on both the score and the original songs on the soundtrack. 

“Ryan [Coogler, the film’s director] and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” Göransson said. “If we used a song in the film, we wanted it to be the entire song, and to be connected to the story. 

“Thematically, we wanted to move the audience from grief to celebration. When you listen to the soundtrack, you can close your eyes and relive the experience of the movie. That was the intention.”

The LP is the second music collection released for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which arrived on 11 November. In July, Hollywood Records and Marvel Music dropped a three-track EP titled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Prologue. It featured Nigeria’s Tems and Ghana’s Amaarae, as well as Mexican artist Santa Fe Klan.