This 'Star Trek Beyond' Song Is Fire

Like any good summer blockbuster, Star Trek Beyond knows that the soundtrack is as important as the actual movie itself. What's a big summer action movie without a hit song to go with it, right? Luckily, the creatives behind Star Trek Beyond, out July 22, pulled out all the stops and enlisted one of the most beloved and badass singers to provide a major track. It's Rihanna who's responsible for "Sledgehammer," the Star Trek Beyond end-credits song, and it's undoubtedly gonna be one of the summer's catchiest tunes.

You might be wondering "why Rihanna?" as, after all, the singer isn't the first person you'd probably associate with the sci-fi franchise. Yet in a Star Trek Beyond: Sledgehammer Featurette, Rihanna describes her love and passion for the series, saying that from an early age, she was engrossed in it and fell in love with the world and characters. To her, it seemed like a perfect fit to provide the haunting and impactful song for the end credits, and so she was "honored" to be part of the film.

As if getting Rihanna on-board wasn't enough, though, "Sledgehammer" was penned by everyone's favorite vocal superstar, Sia. Talk about a dynamic duo, right? The song is a slow ballad that builds, typical of many of Sia's other tracks, but with Rihanna's haunting vocals, it all manages to elevate the song. The lyrics would all have made for great AIM away messages back in the day, IMO, but some of my favorite lyrics are contained within the chorus:

I hit a wall, I thought that I would hurt myselfOh I was sure, your words would leave me unconsciousAnd on the floor I'd be lying cold, lifelessBut I hit a wall, I hit 'em all, watch the fallYou're just another brick and I'm a sledgehammerYou're just another brick and I'm a sledgehammer

To top it off, along with this new song, Beyond's marketing team has released an accompanying music video that depicts Rihanna, with a wild and crazy look, on a desert planet performing what seems like magic. OK, so maybe I'm not doing the video justice — you'll just have to watch it and see for yourself how awesome it is.

So cool, right? In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Floria Sigismondi revealed that the music video was shot at the Trona Pinnacles, a few hours outside of Los Angeles. While the video is an homage to the world of Star Trek, it's definitely also its own story with a unique space-witch character. There's something else, too, that makes this music video truly awesome: it's the first one ever to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Leave it to Rihanna to drop a fire song for Star Trek Beyond and make history with its music video.

Images: Giphy; RihannaVevo/Youtube