Beyonce To Release 'Black Is King' On Disney+
Stories about the Black experience continue to take center stage in Hollywood as part of the side effects brought about by the Black Lives Matter protests that were sparked by the killing of George Floyd. The latest to be announced is the film Black Is King, written, directed, and executive produced by Beyoncé.
Variety reports that the announcement was made on the Grammy-winning superstar’s website through a one-minute teaser trailer. Black Is King is a visual album inspired by the music from The Lion King: The Gift, a soundtrack album for the Lion King live-action remake that Beyoncé herself curated.
Some of the artists who took part in that album include Childish Gambino, Yemi Alade, Kendrick Lamar, Tekno, Pharrell, Salatiel, 070 Shake, Busiswa, Tierra Whack, Tiwa Savage, Jay-Z, Mr Eazi, Blue Ivy Carter, Burna Boy, Jessie Reyez, Shatta Wale, and Wizkid.
NPR adds that it took a year for Black Is King to be made and will feature some of the artists featured in The Lion King: The Gift album as well as showcase some special guest appearances.
The media outlet also quotes a press release as saying that the album will look at the journeys of Black families across time and honor them, while at the same time telling the story of a young monarch who experiences self-identity, betrayal, and love.
The press release goes on to say that Black Is King will have “lush visuals” that will highlight Black resilience, Black culture, Black excellence, and Black tradition.
Black Is King comes right after Beyoncé released Black Parade, a song that she co-wrote with her husband Jay-Z and which also focused on empowering Black people and possibly sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted all over the country after the killing of George Floyd.
Black Parade was released on Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of the enslaved in the United States. According to Beyoncé, proceeds from the song will go to her BeyGOOD initiative, which benefits small businesses owned by Black people.
Even before the release of Black Parade, Beyoncé had already expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the speech she delivered for YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 speech. Beyoncé expressed her gratitude to the young voices who have called for justice on murdered Black people like George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and more.
Other Black celebrities that have spoken about the Black Lives Matter movement include John Boyega and Spike Lee. Protests were also attended by a number of celebrities such as Halsey, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Tinashe, Cole Sprouse, Tessa Thompson, Emily Ratajkowski, Paris Jackson, Kehlani, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miguel.