Rihanna makes James Corden wait 8 years before finally joining him for duet in 'Smurfs'

James Corden has finally sung with Rihanna — just not in the way fans expected. After eight years of trying to book her for Carpool Karaoke, the Late Late Show host revealed at the world premiere of Smurfs in Brussels that he and Rihanna recorded a duet for the animated film.

“I tried for eight years to get Rihanna to do a Carpool Karaoke,” said Corden. “She would always say to me, ‘When the new record is out.’ And then I finished the show before that record came out.”

While Rihanna hasn’t dropped a full studio album since Anti in 2016, she released “Friend of Mine” for the Smurfs soundtrack — a track fans are calling a “club hit.”

It was enough to get her behind the mic with Corden, who voices No Name Smurf, while Rihanna stars as Smurfette.

“She can really sing. But he can too! It was one of the biggest surprises of the whole thing,” Rihanna said of their musical moment.

Corden joked, “I can’t talk seriously about singing with Rihanna, because it’s silly.” But he also added he “legitimately would” bring back Carpool Karaoke for one week — if Rihanna’s new album ever arrives.

The animated film features an ensemble cast including Dan Levy, Sandra Oh, John Goodman, and Maya Erskine. It hits theatres on Friday, July 18.