Despite laudable visual effects and a star-studded voice cast, Disney’s 2019 remake of animated classic The Lion King came and went with little fanfare. Jon Favreau’s film was so concerned with staying true to the original that it forgot to make itself contemporary, and it quickly faded from the discourse. It’s a good thing, then, that Beyoncé, who lent her voice to Nala in said remake, is here to offer a corrective. The movie’s companion album The Lion King: The Gift (with three new songs added) is given new life in Black Is King, a bold and unique offering that’s brimming with Black pride.
That love of Black culture is most evident in the music itself. While Beyoncé is unmistakeably the star of the show, the album features musical influences from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon, reflecting a wide range of Black culture. It’s mildly disappointing that more inspiration isn’t drawn from East Africa given that’s where The Lion King is set, but artists such as Tekno, Yemi Alade and Mr Eazi bring their Afrobeat swagger to ‘Don’t Jealous Me’, while Busiswa, Ghanaian artist Shatta Wale and others contribute to the vibrant showcase of African stars.
The music is further augmented by the sumptuous visuals, each scene somehow more spectacular than its predecessor.
It also helps that many of the songs are upgraded in their transition to the screen. The opening to ‘Spirit’, for instance – the only track from The Lion King: The Gift that was featured in the 2019 movie – is made even more powerful by pairing Beyoncé’s vocals with a choir. The music is further augmented by the sumptuous visuals: from sweeping shots of Johannesburg, the Grand Canyon and more, to Beyoncé’s bevy of costume changes, each scene somehow more spectacular than its predecessor, Black Is King is a feast for the eyes.
The visual storytelling is a little less successful. Even though the vignettes from the movie play better in this context than they do when listening to the album on its lonesome, there are times when they still feel clunky. That said, some of the ideas to reimagine The Lion King on a contemporary human scale are creatively sound – the stampede that kills Mufasa is a biker gang here – and there are moments where the blend of spoken word, music and visuals is especially potent.
Even though we’re only a year out from The Lion King: The Gift, much of it hits differently in today’s climate. In a world where the George Floyds and Breonna Taylors of the world are being murdered by cops and Black Lives Matter protests are raging, lyrics like “If you think you are insignificant, you better think again” have added poignancy, and are a powerful reminder of what Black people can aspire to be. It makes Black Is King vital to the current conversation in a way that no one could have foreseen, but is most welcome.
