Beyoncé loves surprises, doesn’t she?
As fans waited for the clock to strike midnight to watch Black is King (courtesy of Disney+), the queen dropped a brand-new video for “Already,” featuring Shatta Wale and Major Lazer.
The video is part of the deluxe edition of The Lion King: The Gift, now available to play on repeat on your favorite streaming services. The new heat skips the dialogue interludes from The Lion King to add a remix of “Find Your Way Back,” featuring Melo-X, “Black Parade” and then an extended version of “Black Parade,” because you it’s just time to celebrate being Blackity Black.
Black is King started as a companion piece to Lion King: The Gift and it transformed into a “labor of love,” celebrating the beauty of Black ancestry, Beyoncé said on Instagram.
But in light of the Black Lives Matter protests, Bey’s visual album developed a deeper meaning. The cinematic project was shot in various locations around the world and the video for “Already” is already a YouTube favorite. It pays tribute Black kings and African culture via vibrant colors, choreography and melanin.
Yesterday, the queen shared an exclusive message with Good Morning America about her passion project.
“The narrative unfolds thru music videos, fashion, dance, beautiful natural settings and raw new talent dance. But it all started in my backyard, so from my house to Johannesburg to Ghana to London to Belgium to the Grand Canyon. It was truly a journey to bring this film to life,” the Grammy winner said in video. “And my hope for this film is that it shifts the global perception of the word black, which has always meant inspiration and love and strength and beauty to me. But ‘Black is King’ means regal and rich in history and purpose and lineage.”
If you didn’t download Disney+ to see all of this history and purpose and lineage, your Twitter fam is busy sharing their favorite visuals. And the “Brown Skin Girls” video, featuring Kelly Rowland, Lupita Nyong’o, Naomi Campbell and Blu Ivy is giving women all the feels.
We’re grateful to Beyoncé for this celebration of the Black experience.