Beyoncé is back. Over the weekend the singer not only made a taped appearance at the BET Awards, but also confirmed that Black Is King—her next visual album—will be available to stream on Disney+ July 31. Music for the visual will be based on The Gift, the album Beyoncé made to accompany Disney’s 2019 Lion King remake, which featured several African artists, like Nigeria’s Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage. Per the teaser trailer, Black Is King will pick up where The Gift left off, weaving together influences and traditions from across the continent.
In an unusually candid Instagram post, Beyoncé wrote about the visual album, saying she worked on it for a year.
“It is my passion project that I have been filming, researching and editing day and night for the past year,” she wrote. “I’ve given it my all and now it’s yours. It was originally filmed as a companion piece to ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ soundtrack and meant to celebrate the breadth and beauty of Black ancestry.”
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Per Disney, Black Is King will follow “the voyages of Black families,” tracing the arc of “a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love, and self-identity. His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his father’s teachings and guidance from his childhood love, he earns the virtues needed to reclaim his home and throne.”
“I wanted to present elements of Black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy,” Beyoncé wrote on Instagram. “I spent a lot of time exploring and absorbing the lessons of past generations and the rich history of different African customs.”
Black Is King was written, directed, and executive produced by Beyoncé, and weaves in contributions from creators like director Blitz Bazawule and Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler—who made history in 2019 as the first Black designer to win in her category, thanks to her work on Black Panther. Some eagle-eyed fans have also already noticed Ghanaian singer Shatta Wale, who was featured on the Gift track “Already,” in the visual album’s teaser.
At Sunday night’s BET Awards, Beyoncé accepted this year’s Humanitarian Award, after being introduced by former first lady Michelle Obama.
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
“I want to dedicate this award to all of my brothers out there, all of my sisters out there inspiring me, marching and fighting for change,” the singer said in her acceptance speech, ending it with a call to viewers to remember to vote. “Continue to change and dismantle a racist and unequal system. We have to continue to do this together.”
— The 10 Best Movies of 2020 (So Far)
— Review: Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods Is Gold
— The Wild Life and Many Loves of Ava Gardner
— Inside Pete Davidson and John Mulaney’s “Make-A-Wish” Friendship
— Now Streaming: Over 100 Years of Black Defiance at the Movies
— Is TV Sabotaging Itself With Shrinking Shows?
— From the Archive: Exposing MGM’s Smear Campaign Against Rape Survivor Patricia Douglas
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story.