Beyoncé has done it again. The megastar dropped a new music video for “Spirit,” her latest single from the forthcoming Lion King soundtrack. According to USA Today, the album titled The Lion King: The Gift features new songs by the artist with collaborations and tracks from various artists, including her co-star Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino), Pharrell and Jay-Z, and her adorable daughter Blue Ivy Carter. She even enlisted the talents of African artists such as Busiswa, Tekno, Wizkid, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Mr. Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Salatiel, Shatta Wale and Moonchild Sanelly for the project.
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The talented singer debuted the visually stunning video for “Spirit” on July 16. It aired during the ABC Networks Disney special, The Lion King: Can You Feel the Love Tonight, hosted by Robin Roberts. The video was a strikingly, beautiful visual journey. Blue Ivy was featured in a cameo alongside Beyoncé in a symbolic salute to ancestral ties.
In a spectacular mix of couture and custom African clothing, Beyoncé gave a nod to traditional African religions by invoking the essence of Obatalá and Yemayá and also with an opening shot of an Egungun dancer at the beginning of the video. Shades of deep blues, red, pink and green with arms stacked with golden bracelets served as dazzling reminders of the diversity and beauty of Africa.
“The concept of the video is to show how God is the painter, and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction,” Beyoncé explained. “It’s the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition.”
She continued, “This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa and I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it. I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa.”
Fans gave their approval of the video via Twitter.
#BeyonceSpirit music video is 🔥the Swahili in the beginning ♥️ and then blue has #redhair Her petty is on another level! people said Black Girls can’t have red hair in reference to Disney picking Halle Bailey as Ariel for the Little Mermaid.What Beyoncé and Blue Ivy go do?♥️ pic.twitter.com/g9Cnp495bZ
— Mrembo_wake (@merllvy) July 17, 2019
I grateful for living in the same world with Beyoncé. 🐝💙 forever. #spirit #BeyonceSpirit #LionKing pic.twitter.com/UJWWiEDNOO
— Andi Polgar 🇭🇺 (@andipolgar) July 17, 2019
POWER TRANSMISSION ✨🔥#SpiritMusicVideo #BeyonceSpirit #TheLionKing #Spirit pic.twitter.com/z7Gs7vAoJW
— mthethwa.zakhele (@mthethwazakhel3) July 17, 2019
The Lion King debuts in theaters nationwide on Friday, July 19.
The film is produced by The Walt Disney Company (No. 20 on the DiversityInc Top 50 list).
