Today sees the premiere of Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated Black Is King, a visual album that was inspired by last year’s The Lion King: The Gift. In addition, one of the standouts from The Gift, the Shatta Wale and Major Lazer-assisted “Already,” receives an amazing music video to accompany the release. The clip is full of dancing and choreography, with Beyoncé being seen in a variety of vibrant locations, paying tribute to African culture and, as the song’s lyrics entail, the Black kings around the world:
“Long live the king, you a king, you know it, king already, already, you know it, top everything, everything, you know it, king already, already, you know it/
Mind, body, soul, got a king body…/”
Ghanian star Shatta Wale also makes an appearance in the clip, taking his place both alongside Beyoncé and in front of his people to continue to king mantra.
The R&B icon also released a deluxe edition of The Gift, which removes the interludes from the original in place for three additional tracks. Many others can be seen in different global locations joining in on the high-energy movement that the clip portrays.
The Lion King: The Gift was released back in July, and coincided with the photorealistic remake of The Lion King, which Beyoncé starred as Simba’s counterpart Nala. The soundtrack album proved to be successful, landing at the number two spot on the Billboard 200 thanks to 54,000 album equivalent units sold during its first week of release. In a press release, she explained her intentions behind the conceptual project:
“This is sonic cinema. This is a new experience of storytelling. I wanted to do more than find a collection of songs that were inspired by the film. … It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers.”
Press play on “Already” below.