Beyonce is Treating Us to A Brand New Visual Album

The music world has been buzzing with new releases and it looks like Beyonce has no intentions of being left out. Queen B recently announced her brand new visual album, titled,  ‘Black Is King.

Beyonce dropped a one-minute trailer for the visual album giving fans a sneak peek into the Lion King-inspired release. In the trailer, we witness the star traversing through different landscapes: a warm beach, a surreal garden, a museum, the long corridors of a building,etc. The cinematography is simply outstanding, as each frame is a painting in itself. 

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I typically keep comments short and sweet, but I just watched the trailer with my family and I’m excited. ?please don’t get me hype?? “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. The events of 2020 have made the film’s vision and message even more relevant, as people across the world embark on a historic journey. We are all in search of safety and light. Many of us want change. I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books. With this visual album, I wanted to present elements of Black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy. I spent a lot of time exploring and absorbing the lessons of past generations and the rich history of different African customs. While working on this film, there were moments where I’ve felt overwhelmed, like many others on my creative team, but it was important to create a film that instills pride and knowledge. I only hope that from watching, you leave feeling inspired to continue building a legacy that impacts the world in an immeasurable way. I pray that everyone sees the beauty and resilience of our people. This is a story of how the people left MOST BROKEN have EXTRAORDINARY gifts.❤️✊? Thank you to Blitz, Emmanuel, Ibra, Jenn, Pierre, Dikayl, Kwasi and all the brilliant creatives. Thank you to all at Disney for giving this Black woman the opportunity to tell this story. This experience has been an affirmation of a grander purpose. My only goal is that you watch it with your family and that it gives you pride. Love y’all, B

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‘Black is King’ has been written, directed and produced by Beyonce. This project makes its entrance approximately one year after the theatrical release of the ‘Lion King’ remake, which featured Beyonce voicing the character, Nala.

Now, to give you a little more context, ‘Black Is King is based on the music from The Lion King: The Gift, Beyonce’s 2019 soundtrack for the animated film. It featured cameos from a number of stellar musicians like Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, Childish Gambino and Beyonce’s beau, Jay-Z. 

According to an announcement from Disney and Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment, the film has been a year in the making.  What ties it to the ‘Lion King’ is the fact that it’s a reimagining of lessons from the powerful story. Or as Disney puts it, this version is for “today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns,”

‘Black is King’ will trace the story of “a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity. Black Is King is an affirmation of a grand purpose, with lush visuals that celebrate Black resilience and culture.”

Well, Beyonce is always known for her grand, moving projects and as far as we can tell, this one is sure to deliver.

By: Nina Karun

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