Smurfette’s Got a Groove with Rihanna’s “Friend of Mine”

Rihanna’s back – but not where you’d expect her. Swapping Savage X Fenty runways for mushroom-topped villages, the global icon steps into the world of The Smurfs with her new single “Friend of Mine,” and the result is a glowing, genre-bending surprise. More Ibiza than animated matinee, the track is a shimmering slice of Afrobeats-laced house music that effortlessly blends playful charm with grown-up groove. It’s Rihanna, reimagined – and she’s bringing the Smurfs to the club.

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Stream: “Friend of Mine” – Rihanna

Rihanna has always had an uncanny knack for reshaping the space she enters – be it high fashion, beauty, or the global pop charts.

But with “Friend of Mine,” her first new track since 2022’s Oscar-nominated “Lift Me Up,” she takes her legacy somewhere unexpected: Into the whimsical, cerulean-hued world of the Smurfs. And, somehow, she makes it feel like home.

It’s a curious thing hearing Rihanna’s unmistakable tone refracted through the lens of a dance track meant for a family film. Written for Paramount Animation’s upcoming Smurfs movie, in which she also stars as the voice of Smurfette, “Friend of Mine” doesn’t settle for the expected. There’s no saccharine sing-along chorus or cloying orchestration. Instead, this is a club-ready, Afrobeats-tinged house cut that pulses with breezy confidence and a quiet shimmer of nostalgia.

Friend of Mine - Rihanna — Friend of Mine – Rihanna

Co-produced and co-written by Jon Bellion, the song hits a sweet spot that’s surprisingly rare in soundtrack work mature but innocent, stylish yet inclusive. Bellion himself called it a moment of “high-taste, deep ’90s nostalgia,” and that’s exactly what “Friend of Mine” offers: A slice of sun-dappled euphoria with a heartbeat that could easily slip into a terrace set at sunset, just as easily as it could soundtrack a kid’s dance party.

Right from the first few bars, “Friend of Mine” casts its spell. A lilting percussive loop snakes in under filtered synths, and Rihanna’s voice enters not as a grand pronouncement but as a glowing, intimate echo almost as if she’s confiding in us. “I think the word here is déjà vu / Trust me here tonight, bet you’ll feel like a friend of mine,” she sings, the refrain folding in on itself like a mantra, warmly repetitive but never stagnant. It’s the kind of hook that lives in your head for days, not aggressively catchy, but quietly persistent.

Ooh, I think the word here is “déjà-vu”
Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
How can so familiar be so brand new?
Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
Like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine

The production leans heavily on rhythm and mood, with Afro-Caribbean flourishes that subtly nod to Rihanna’s Barbadian roots without ever overshadowing the song’s universal message. The beat is elastic and fluid, giving Rihanna ample space to explore textures with her voice. She flits between sung lines and airy harmonies, her delivery featherlight but emotionally grounded. It’s less of a vocal showcase and more of a vibe, pure feeling, distilled into rhythm.

What’s especially clever about “Friend of Mine” is how it manages to be playful without being twee. There’s no forced whimsy here, no faux-childlike innocence. Instead, the track hums with emotional intelligence, celebrating the enduring bond of friendship not just as a plot point in a cartoon, but as a real, resonant theme. There’s no irony in Rihanna’s delivery, just a sincere, steady joy. That sincerity, rare in today’s pop landscape, is part of what makes this track so magnetic.

The accompanying video drives that tone home beautifully. We open on Rihanna striding toward the Smurf village, towering above it like a goddess in platform heels, shielding herself with a giant flower. As she enters the village, the scene seamlessly transitions into animation, where the tiny blue residents burst into dance. It’s light-hearted, yes, but also elegant, stylistically rich and rooted in Rihanna’s cool-but-accessible brand of charisma. She isn’t just lending her voice to Smurfette; she’s infusing the role, and the music around it, with her own unmistakable essence.

The timing of this release feels significant. Rihanna has famously kept fans waiting for her ninth studio album, teasing studio sessions but holding back on details. While “Friend of Mine” isn’t part of that long-awaited project, it feels like a signpost, a glimmer of the kind of musical universe she might be inhabiting next. She’s not chasing trends. Instead, she’s crafting moods, bending genre rules, and applying her sensibility to unexpected formats.

Rihanna "Friend of Mine" promo © 2025 — Rihanna “Friend of Mine” Smurfs © 2025

While “Friend of Mine” is arguably quite digestible, warm, rhythmic, and undeniably replayable, it also feels like an honest expression, free from the pressure to chart or dominate TikTok.

That sense of freedom is audible in every beat.

It’s worth noting, too, how “Friend of Mine” slots into the broader soundscape of the Smurfs soundtrack, which includes “Higher Love” by Desi Trill, DJ Khaled, Cardi B, and others. Where that track is bombastic and eclectic, Rihanna’s contribution feels like the grounding force, earthy, melodic, timeless. And with Tyla also joining the soundtrack lineup, it’s clear that this isn’t just a kids’ film soundtrack; it’s a carefully curated celebration of modern pop talent with a global flair.

Ooh, I think the word here is “déjà-vu”
Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
How can so familiar be so brand new?
Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine
Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine
Like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine

Rihanna’s ability to move across creative worlds, between animation and adult sophistication, between children’s films and serious art, is part of what makes “Friend of Mine” so compelling. It’s not trying to be more than what it is, and yet it ends up doing so much more than expected. Like the best Rihanna singles, it feels inevitable once you hear it. Of course she made this. Of course it works.

“Friend of Mine” is a welcome return, not just to Rihanna’s voice, but to the feeling of real pop craftsmanship. It’s smart, soulful, and completely at ease with itself. Whether you’re watching blue creatures dance or spinning this on a summer night drive, it’s got that rare glow: Light without being slight, simple without being forgettable.

Just like a true friend.

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