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At first glance, Rihanna’s “Friend of Mine” might not seem like a track suited for a children’s movie. Unlike the superstar’s prior contributions to soundtracks like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Home, which leaned toward grand pop ballads, “Friend of Mine” delivers a pulsating club vibe, with Rihanna’s voice serving as a soaring refrain over a dance beat.
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Jon Bellion, who co-wrote and co-produced the single last year, was initially taken aback when he learned the song would feature in the upcoming Smurfs film, where Rihanna voices Smurfette. However, upon reflecting on the track’s musical style, he recognized its widespread appeal. “From a product standpoint, I don’t think you encounter such significant chords and such a positive [message] over a dance record that doesn’t resemble a kids movie too often,” he shares with Billboard. “So when can you encapsulate a feel-good, family-friendly vibe with a touch of deep ‘90s nostalgia that can fit into the kids movie context? Let’s share it with the world!”
On Friday (May 16), Rihanna indeed gave fans “Friend of Mine,” a prelude to the Smurfs soundtrack (releasing June 13 via Roc Nation Distribution) and her role in the Smurfs movie (hitting theaters July 18). After three years of silence in her music career, Rihanna reintroduces herself with “Friend of Mine,” positioning it as a potential summer anthem.
The track was crafted during one of Bellion’s songwriting retreats at his Hamptons beach house last summer, with the experienced producer collaborating with Pete Nappi and Fallen, all three sharing co-writing credits alongside Elijah Noll, Elkan, Tenroc, and Rihanna. The creative team includes contributors from Beautiful Mind Projects, Bellion’s management, publishing, and label venture, and he — having propelled artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Maroon 5 to major hits in recent years — notes that the energy felt in “Friend of Mine” is reflective of his team’s collaborative spirit.
“It was a bunch of friends enjoying themselves, engaging in a music camp, jamming on some DJ-style tunes, and having a blast,” he explains. “That’s probably why it sounds so fresh. It felt organic, with everyone involved genuinely enjoying each other’s company and striving to create something amazing.”
“Collaborating with [Jon] is always thrilling as you know you’ll end up with a real song,” producer Fallen, who has also worked with artists like Doja Cat and Summer Walker, tells Billboard in a statement. “He follows through. He’s willing to dedicate an entire week to perfecting a single track if necessary. We spent about three days polishing ‘Friend of Mine.’ Coming from hip-hop, I’m used to producing multiple tracks in one session, so this level of detail was a new experience for me. But it’s been the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from him.”
One of Bellion’s earliest successes as a co-writer was “The Monster,” the 2013 hit by Eminem and Rihanna that topped the Hot 100 for four weeks. Over the years, he has maintained contact with Rihanna’s team and mentions that he’s contributed “a couple songs” to her camp that remain unreleased.
Given Rihanna’s sparse musical releases since 2016’s ANTI, Bellion was uncertain whether “Friend of Mine” would ever be released, but the spontaneous nature of its creation stood out to him as it developed last year. “The track is raw — she didn’t really mix it beyond the two-track version we sent out,” he notes. “I had it on my phone for a few days, and I remember waking up every morning listening to it. I’d play it in the shower, thinking, ‘This is actually jamming!’”
Bellion couldn’t recall another Rihanna single that resembled “Friend of Mine,” and he eventually realized that this unexplored sound was precisely what she was after. “She’s not aiming for ‘We Found Love 2.0’ or ‘Work 2.0’,” he affirms. “The arrangement and vibe feel very fresh — very avant-garde, leading the charge for the next wave, as she typically aims for each time she releases something.”
“Friend of Mine” lands just before the release of Bellion’s third studio album, Father Figure, on June 6; this project, his first solo album in seven years, includes features from Luke Combs, Pharrell Williams, and Jon Batiste. While Father Figure delves into deeply personal themes regarding fatherhood and its challenges, Bellion is excited that “Friend of Mine” has surfaced a few weeks prior, giving him the opportunity to achieve something he has long desired professionally.
“My entire career, I’ve wanted a song that gets played at every kind of celebration — all the baby showers, sweet sixteens, weddings, and Bar Mitzvahs,” Bellion laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever had one of those, so this feels fantastic, and I hope it performs well.”
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