Be it for the good, bad, ugly, or downright shocking, 2022 was full of memorable moments!

Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next, we’ll revisit Rihanna‘s long-awaited return to music that was met with mixed reviews.

Having taken a long break from music, Rihanna announced her return to the scene with a new song that would appear on the ‘Black Panther 2’ soundtrack called ‘Lift Me Up.’ 

Marvel Teases New Rihanna Music for ‘Black Panther 2’ Soundtrack Will Drop THIS WEEK

Upon the official release of the song, 'Lift Me Up' stormed the streaming songs chart as well as broke several radio records along the way, seemingly positioning her to make a grand return.

However, her grand return fizzled some as the strength of her numbers was not enough to best that of Pop titan Taylor Swift to claim the coveted #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Rihanna SHATTERS Radio Record with ‘Lift Me Up’ & STORMS the Streaming Scene

Hot 100: Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ Holds #1 For Second Week / Rihanna’s ‘Lift Me Up’ Debuts at #2

That was not the end of chart blunders though, Rihanna also released another song from the soundtrack called 'Born Again' that failed to make much impact on the charts at all.

New Song: Rihanna – ‘Born Again’ [‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’]

Despite the poor chart performance of each song, Rihanna tied a major Janet Jackson record on the Billboard Hot 100 and even went on to score a Golden Globe nomination for 'Lift Me Up.'

Rihanna & Taylor Swift Tie Janet Jackson’s All-Time Hot 100 Record with Respective Hits ‘Lift Me Up’ & ‘Anti-Hero’

Golden Globes 2023: Full Nominations List [Rihanna, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Pope, & More Named]

 Your thoughts?

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