Beyonce Showcases Trailer For Visual Album ‘Black Is King’

Beyoncé has unveiled the trailer for her upcoming visual album, Black is King, The Guardian reported. The film will premiere on Disney Plus on July 31 and is a reimagining of The Lion King remake which came out last year.

Black is King will include music from The Lion King: The Gift and will feature familiar faces such as Jay-Z, Naomi Campbell, Pharrell Williams, and even former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland.

Beyoncé acted as an executive producer on the upcoming release, which saw her work with renowned filmmaker Emmanuel Adjei, visual artist Pierre Debusschere, and pop star Blitz Bazawule. The album was filmed over a yearlong period in South Africa, West Africa, Belgium, Los Angeles, New York, and London, according to The Guardian.

The singer expressed her excitement about the project in a lengthy caption on her Instagram last month but has yet to post an update amid the launch of the new trailer.

“Black Is King is a labor of love. It is my passion project that I have been filming, researching and editing day and night for the past year. I’ve given it my all and now it’s yours,” she said.

Beyoncé explained that she wanted to use her new release to present elements of Black History and African tradition with a modern twist and a universal message. It was originally filmed to be a companion piece to The Lion King: The Gift but evolved into something bigger. According to the singer, the upcoming project will celebrate the black ancestry and its beauty.

“The events of 2020 have made the film’s vision and message even more relevant, as people across the world embark on a historic journey. We are all in search of safety and light. Many of us want change. I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books.”

This is not the first time Beyoncé will be releasing an album of this nature. In a similar vein, her 2016 release, Lemonade, was the first time the singer used her music to express her political views. The mothers of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin were seen holding pictures of their sons in its accompanying film.

Beyoncé’s involvement with Disney and The Lion King comes after her role as Nala in the 2019 remake of the classic animated movie, whose soundtrack included her original song “Spirit.”