Rihanna Returns to Music After 3 Years with Electrifying New Track “Friend Of Mine” – And She’s Voicing Smurfette Too!

After three long years of musical silence, Rihanna is back—and she’s making noise in the most unexpected, electric way. The global icon, singer, and beauty mogul just dropped a brand-new single, Friend Of Mine, a dancefloor-ready banger straight from the soundtrack of the upcoming Smurfs movie by Paramount Pictures.

Yes, you read that right—Rihanna isn’t just blessing fans with a new track; she’s also stepping into the world of animation as the voice of Smurfette herself. The film, which hits cinemas on Friday, July 18, will feature Friend Of Mine as part of its star-studded soundtrack, set for release via Roc Nation Entertainment on Friday, June 13.

This marks Rihanna’s first musical release since her emotional ballad Lift Me Up for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022, and her first upbeat solo track since her 2020 collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR on Believe It. Friend Of Mine follows Higher Love, the soundtrack’s debut single featuring a powerhouse lineup of Desi Trill, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania, and Subhi.

But Rihanna isn’t flying solo in The Smurfs. The movie’s voice cast reads like a Hollywood dream team, including Kurt Russell, James Corden, Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Daniel Levy, and more.

While fans soak up the new single, many are also buzzing about what’s coming next. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Rihanna shared a rare update on her highly anticipated ninth studio album—the follow-up to 2016’s critically acclaimed ANTI. And for the first time in years, she sounds ready.

“I think music is my freedom,” Rihanna revealed. “I just cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work. I am actually feeling really good about this.”

She continued, “This feels right. It digs into where I need to be… this body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there. This is becoming my new freedom, because when I’m in the studio, I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years.”

Speaking of motherhood, Rihanna recently turned heads at the 2025 Met Gala when she revealed she’s pregnant with her third child. She and longtime partner A$AP Rocky are already parents to two sons: RZA (born 2022) and Riot (born 2023)—the latter announced during her unforgettable Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

With new music, a major movie role, and motherhood all in full swing, Rihanna isn’t just making a comeback—she’s redefining what it means to be unstoppable. So turn the volume up and hit play on Friend Of Mine—Rihanna’s back, and she’s got a lot to say.