Beyoncé to release The Lion King: The Gift's visual companion Black Is King on Disney+

The first time I listened to Afriyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift last year, my immediate response was that I couldn't believe that there was no visual companion. And that all we got was one and a half music videos. As great as those visuals were, I couldn't help but envision visuals for "Find Your Way Back", "My Power", "Nile" and "Otherside". I even tweeted about it.

I want Videyoncé to drop a full ass movie for The Lion King: The gift out of fucking nowhere. 'Cos every one of these songs needs a visual.

Drag me Afriyoncé. Fucking do it. Leave me bald bitch.

— ?J (@_RandomJ_) July 20, 2019

And lo and behold. Camerayoncé had shot a damn visual album. Of course a bitch did. Because there was no way in hell she was going to put out a Blickitty Black African ass album and not give us a full visual experience to go along with it.

Black Is King is a retelling of sorts of the story of The Lion King, but reframed to show the richness of Blackness and African culture, which pretty much aligns it closer to the musical then the film.

Just as The Lion King: The Gift was a display of African talent, Black Is King is no different. From the trailer we see Warren Masemola, John Kani, Connie Chiume, Nyaniso Dzedze, Nandi Madida and Moonchild Sanelly. Everything Beyoncé does is in secrecy and everybody involved signs their life away to an NDA, so we won't know who else features until we see Black Is King in full.

Blue Ivy really walked into Bob Iger's office and told that white man:
1. My momma is making a whole album about The Lion King.
2. She gon' make a visual album too. It will be called Black Is King.
3. Y'all gon' pay for whole thing.
4. And y'all gon' donate millions of y'alls white dollars to these Black causes.

Black Is King, the visual companion to The Lion King: The Gift will be released globally on Disney+ on July 31.

Disney+ 'bout to get a spike in free trials come July.

📝 Album reviews: I am... Sasha Fierce | 4 | Beyoncé | Lemonade
🔊 Playlist: This is Queen B