Beyonce has single-handedly amazed us in a number of ways over the past decade and beyond. Being the icon she is, it’s nearly impossible to ever create any art that’s less than immaculate. There’s only a few artists that can effectively pull off surprise drops and Queen Bey is at the top of that list for sure. Many spectators ruled this as a “top-secret” project, given the fact she gave minimal details about it (one thing she does best). The lack of information only riled up the Bey Hive more and more by the second — but don’t fret, The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe) has arrived.
Courtesy Of Cattermole | Getty Images
This news comes ahead of her Black Is King visual album
exclusively premiering on Disney Plus on Friday (July 31)
which she’s been preparing for about a year. Beyonce worked with a diverse group of directors, actors and creatives to make this possible. Black Is King was made with an international creative team, including many Africans, and its cast has heavy-hitting names like Lupita Nyong’o, Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, JAY-Z and Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyoncé’s mother. The list of directors who worked with her on the project includes Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Pierre Debusschere, Jenn Nkiru, Ibra Ake, Dikayl Rimmasch, Jake Nava and Kwasi Fordjour. She also wrote, directed and executive produced the album, making it that much more special.
In an extended Instagram post ahead of Black Is King’s release, Beyonce is more than elated to finally gift fans with this optic pleasure:
Black Is King is a labor of love. It is my passion project that I have been filming, researching and editing day and night for the past year. I’ve given it my all and now it’s yours. It was originally filmed as a companion piece to “The Lion King: The Gift” soundtrack and meant to celebrate the breadth and beauty of Black ancestry. I could never have imagined that a year later, all the hard work that went into this production would serve a greater purpose.
Listen to The Lion King: The Gift below!