Beyonce is back with a vengeance, announcing her new visual album, Black Is King. Based off of Disney’s 2019 adaption of The Lion King, the release will feature tracks from the singer’s soundtrack curated album The Lion King: The Gift, celebrating black culture and resilience.
Black Is King “is an affirmation of a grand purpose, with lush visuals that celebrate Black resilience and culture,” Disney’s press release reads. “The film highlights the beauty of tradition and Black excellence.”
Queen Bey is dropping a self-directed, written, and produced visual album celebrating black excellence, titled Black Is King. The album will feature her fellow Lion King stars and songs from the 2019 film.
Whilst 2016’s Lemonade currently stands as Beyonce’s most recent project album, the beloved singer has been keeping extremely busy in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Disney’s announcement comes shortly after the release of the singer’s Juneteenth tribute single Black Parade, with proceeds donated to black-owned small businesses.
“The visual album from Beyoncé reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns,” a press release reads. “These timeless lessons are revealed and reflected through Black voices of today, now sitting in their own power… “Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right.”
Just when you thought Black Is King couldn’t get any better, turns out that the album will feature the talents of Beyonce’s Lion King co-stars Donald Glover, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Tierra Whack. Visuals from The Gift will also be included in the final release, with the videos for Spirit and Bigger featuring the singer’s daughter Blue Ivy, and an accompanying hour-long documentary celebrating the process behind the record.
Head to Beyoncé’s website to check out the trailer.
