When you get Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in your movie, you don’t just get the actress, coming in to say her lines and bounce. No, you get the full array of heavenly talent, and for the remake of THE LION KING, that means her undeniably perfect vocals and musical gifts. Not only does she sing in the movie but she has curated a new soundtrack loaded with original songs, and after dropping the song “Spirit” after last week’s premiere, you can now watch the full music video, fit with stunning visuals and Bey’s show-stopping presentation.
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A sheer power ballad that makes perfect use of the singer's R&B vocals, the video itself is filled with magnificent costumes that provide a burst of color against the dry plains, and even stand out as the singer lies in serene pools of water. Laced throughout the video are glimpses at the movie, and not so much of her own character (Nala), but of Simba as we track his journey from lion cub to taking his place as king.
The song plays in the movie during a pivotal moment, and has been the flagship track off the soon-to-be-released album curated by Beyoncé herself, “The Lion King: The Gift” which brings in artists like Childish Gambino (Donald Glover, who voices Simba), husband and rapper Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams and Nigerian artists like Mr. Eazi and more. Much like Lamar did for the BLACK PANTHER soundtrack last year, the album is about bringing in all kinds of voices to create a whirlwind of different sounds and tracks. Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment she called it “sonic cinema," saying she “wanted to do more than find a collection of songs that were inspired by the film.”
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Nigerian music producer E Kelly spoke with Rolling Stone recently about how the album is instrumental in bringing in voices from the region into the mainstream, something that has been a difficult task before Beyoncé lent her influence. “[The album] is gonna create a new awareness,” he said. “People who have never heard any afrobeats, this is going to be their first experience of hearing something real from the culture.”
She also took to social media to unveil the official cover for the album, and of course, it's excellent, showing two golden lions (Simba and Scar) in an epic struggle.
Here's the full track list for the album:
1. Beyoncé: “Bigger”
2. Beyoncé: “Find Your Way Back (Circle of Life)”
3. Tekno / Yemi Alade / Mr. Eazi: “Don’t Jealous Me”
4. Burna Boy: “Ja Ara E”
5. Beyoncé / Kendrick Lamar: “The Nile”
6. Beyoncé / JAY-Z / Childish Gambino: “Mood 4 Eva”
7. Salatiel / Pharrell / Beyoncé: “Water”
8. Blue Ivy Carter / SAINt JHN / WizKid / Beyoncé: “Brown Skin Girl”
9. Tiwa Savage / Mr. Eazi: “Keys to the Kingdom”
10 Beyoncé: “Otherside”
11 Beyoncé / Shatta Wale: “Already”
12 Tierra Whack / Beyoncé / Busiswa / Yemi Alade / Moonchild Sanelly: “My Power”
13 070 Shake / Jessie Reyez: “Scar”
14 Beyoncé: “Spirit"
THE LION KING is in theaters July 19.