To commemorate the one year anniversary of the Afrocentric Black Is King album, Beyoncé has released two new music videos for fans to gawk at.
The videos are taken directly from the visual album but have been released individually via Queen Bey’s YouTube channel. “Mood 4 Eva,” which has already garnered over one million views on the video sharing platform, was shot in Los Angeles at the famed Beverly House over two days in September 2019, according to Variety. The visual was directed by Beyoncé and Dikayl Rimmasch. While the entire visual album coincided with the release of Disney’s The Lion King, Black is King also retells the story of a young African prince who flees his home after his father’s death, goes through a journey of self-identity and reclaims the throne.
For fans of the original flick, “Mood 4 Eva” is supposed to reflect the moment Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa and learns about the carefree concept of hakuna matata. The track features JAY-Z, Childish Gambino and Oumou Sangaré. Kelly Rowland and Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles Lawson, make special guest appearances in the video as well.
Bey’s twins Rumi and Sir appear in the music video for “Otherside.” Draped in a white gown, Beyoncé continues to serve as a guide for the royal child in the story. The video for “Otherside” symbolically represents Simba’s moment of self awareness and his journey back to the Pride Lands. Parts of the visual, specifically the scene where the prince ascends to divinity in Johannesburg’s Ponte City tower, were shot in South Africa. The children toward the end of the video reflect the stylings of the Omo tribes in Ethiopia. Emmanuel Adjei and Beyoncé served as the directors for this portion of the film. The outro to the somber tune “Otherside” is sung by Bey in Swahili.
In addition to the two new music videos, Mrs. Carter dropped off some more Black Is King merch. T-shirts, hoodies, trucker hats, iPhone cases and mugs have all been added to Queen Bey’s web store.
Check out both music videos below and stream Black Is King on Disney+: