[34] Steve Rose of The Guardian stated that "Beyoncé is emerging as a major figure in cinema", adding that "it’s safe to say that Beyoncé is... one of the most significant film-makers" on the planet. The ancestor reminds the prince of his power, and he assembles an army of women to fight his uncle ("My Power"). Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/ b iË Ë j É n s eɪ / bee-YON-say; née Knowles; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, actress and record producer. Montgomery explained that Black Is King, through its references to "vernacular structures implying futurity", disrupts the orthodox "narrow critical framework" employed by cultural critics such as Mark Dery, concluding: "The unconventional temporalities that figure into [Black Is King] beckon us to abandon received ways of seeing and being seen, to cross over into an original social and psychic space. The Lion King: The Gift é uma trilha sonora produzida pela cantora norte-americana Beyoncé para o remake em renderização 3D The Lion King (2019), e mais tarde para o filme musical Black Is King (2020). [100], Statues that were on the "Keys to the Kingdom" set, including one of a black woman with a child wrapped on her back, were intended to inspire young black children, with director Ibra Ake saying: "Just seeing that as a black man, coming from America, I'm like, yeah this is opposite of what I have to inspire me growing up. She explained how Beyoncé made her "feel like a queen" and thanked her with a warm hug at the end of the shoot, after which Shepherd "went to the ladies room and shed a few tears". [123], Black Is King was released globally on July 31, 2020, on Disney+. To research for the film, Beyoncé described how she "spent a lot of time exploring and absorbing the lessons of past generations and the rich history of different African customs". When it's all said and done, I don't even know my own native tongue. [69] Nigerian dancer and actor Stephen Ojo was also first recruited as a dancer for the "Spirit" music video. [41] The Gift was curated and produced by Beyoncé, who described the album as "a love letter to Africa" and recounted her determination to find "the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and [do] my interpretation of it". [138] The trailer was similarly praised by critics, with Jasmine Ting for Paper declaring the film "[a] colorful cinematic masterpiece" with "out-of-this-world visuals" that mix "traditional cultural elements from the African continent" with "modern-day African-American culture". [102][103], The church featured in the "Nile" and "My Power" videos was painted fully in white by a team of over 100 people working for 38 hours straight, to reflect the use of white as a symbol of mourning in certain cultures. In the spiritual plane, the ancestor is reunited with her baby. We chatted about the magic of @beyonce The creation process. The king gives the young prince a small golden scepter and tells the prince that his ancestors look down on them from the stars and will always be there to guide him ("Find Your Way Back"). The Lion King is a computer-generatedremake film inspired by the 1994 traditionally-animated film of the same name. [8], Sophia Ordaz of Slate noted that as well as the message of the film being "that Black kingship amounts to responsible manhood, Black femininity is just as integral". I believe my strength is understanding how storytelling, music, lighting, angles, fashion, art direction, history, dance, and editing work together. They chase him out of the kingdom, and the prince reclaims his throne. Beyoncé first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the R&B girl-group Destiny's Child, which ⦠[38][29] The fashion in the "My Power" video was designed according to the colors of the Seven African Powers, with each singer representing a different orisha. The event discussed "the creative process and cultural impact of this diasporic project" and featured guests including Assistant Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art Rujeko Hockley, musician and scholar Jason King, ethnomusicologist Fredara Mareva Hadley, Center for Black Visual Culture program director Joan Morgan, and the film's contributors Kwasi Fordjour, MeLo-X and Clover Hope. I landed on mountains to swim in waterfalls. Blackness is bigger than that; in fact, it's transcendent. Beyoncé came up with the idea for the wig, and hairstylist Kim Kimble worked with six braiders for three days to make it. [82][32] Stylist Zerina Akers described how the aim of the wardrobe was to have a "global conversation"; the costumes would enable people of all races to "recognise and respect the power and beauty of brown skin", while black people would be inspired "to research their spiritual heritage and what truly belongs to them" and be left with the sense "that the world does belong to them and that they belong in the world". [81], Hundreds of costumes were designed for Black Is King, including 69 for Beyoncé herself. On a beach in the spiritual plane, a newborn prince is held by his maternal ancestor while she tells him of his significance and purpose ("Bigger"). The Lion King: The Gift was included in Capital XTRA's 20 best albums of 2019 list, whereby "Spirit" was described as a "triumphant, gospel-inspired" track that "firmly cemented Beyoncé at the top of her game". [108], The Ghanaian chapter was led by director Joshua Kissi. Meaning and symbols in Beyonce's visual album", "A N T I on Instagram: "Black Is King, a film by @beyonce. Super pumped to have played our part on the Nigerian chapter of this film alongside amazing…, "Beyoncé's 'Black Is King': Let's Discuss", "Where was Black Is King filmed? [89] One scene shows women covering their hair in red clay, which is a reference to the Himba people of Namibia and Angola. [72], Special guests were recruited for the film, such as Lupita Nyong'o, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé's children Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter, as well as some of the artists featured in The Gift, including Yemi Alade, Shatta Wale, Salatiel, Wizkid, and Busiswa. Nicole Chin Sue, one of the synchronised swimmers in the video, recalled:[75]. 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Allegra Frank writing for Vox described the song as "perfect" and "otherworldly good". This caught the attention of Beyoncé and her team reached out to them to invite them to feature in the film. [58], Farinah stated that the aim of the hairstyling was to "educate people about Blackness and Black hair, Black trends, how amazing it is and the story behind it, the history behind these cultures", as "Black women’s hair and Black trends have been put down for so many years" and these styles were "not just hair" but had deep meanings behind them. [144], Writing for Decider, Anna Menta called Black Is King "an undeniably breathtaking, personal, and political work of art". He lives in an extravagant mansion full of expensive clothes, servants, and feasts ("Mood 4 Eva"). [5] The film tells the story of a young African prince (Folajomi Akinmurele) who is exiled from his kingdom after the death of his father. Beyoncé has recently released a brand new video labeled âBlack Is Kingâ on Disney Plus. [50][51][52][53], When voicing the character of Nala in The Lion King (2019), Beyoncé delved into the history of the film and its story. [60] In South Africa, the Shakaland Zulu Village in KwaZulu-Natal and the Ndebele church in Mapoch were the sets for the royal family's village and the wedding scene, respectively. âThe Lion King: The Giftâ Is Beyonceâs Love Letter to Blackness The soundtrack features over 20 artists from the United States, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon. I put alot of downloads and energy into my compositions. She told them she wants them to continue, that they are going to inspire the world, and that all the young girls like Blue are going to see this and want to do it. ALSO MOST importantly... Why is itvso important that the…, "Beyoncé Unveils Trailer For New Film 'BLACK IS KING, "We Spotted These Hidden Meanings In "Black Is King, "Beyonce's Black is King Spotlights Black Artistic Swimmers", "GOD on Instagram: "Shout out to all my Tamil people I hope I did you all proud(msgs saying I most definitely did). A deluxe edition of The Gift was released alongside the film, which includes the song "Black Parade". But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cubâs arrival. Some of the members of the cast and crew were subsequently announced. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. "[150] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". A Twitter spokesperson said: "Because we know that some of the best moments deserve a little spark and delight, we are testing a product that lets partners customize Twitter's Like button animation with iconic imagery that complements their campaign." At first, she intended to produce one-minute clips for some of the songs, with them shooting in her backyard in The Hamptons. [140], Ben Sisario of The New York Times wrote that the minimal marketing for Black Is King "reflects one of Beyoncé's great talents — stoking public conversation with her art, while explaining very little about it". Beyoncé wanted to recruit a diverse cast and crew and to provide opportunities for new talent. [119] The score contains traditional African music from the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music and released by Smithsonian Folkways. Beyoncé wanted the hair completed by Friday, so Farinah asked his manager to look on social media for the best black hairstylists and send them to his salon in the morning. [210] Steff Yotka of Vogue wrote that "Black Is King was the digital fashion event of the summer, upstaging official fashion weeks by aligning garments with history, celebrity, purpose, and unparalleled beauty". Dzedze explained that the casting team went on a lengthy process in order to find the right person for the role, and "somehow my face, my image found itself on the table, and I guess the stars aligned and God said yes". "[8], Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone described Black Is King as "a Pan-African collage", with the film showcasing fashion, music, dances, locations and languages from throughout the African continent and diaspora. She also co-wrote and sang "Spirit". [98][109] Filming also took place in Apple Valley in California and Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon; Black Is King was the first production to be filmed at Havasu Falls, with the Havasupai people granting special permission to Beyoncé. [4]Com curadoria realizada por ⦠[101] Beyoncé described the filming as "absolutely an adventure", stating: "I performed in the belly of sand dunes and I floated in the middle of the ocean. Industry insiders told me the new film from Beyonce signals that Disney Plus is willing to get "elastic" to win the streaming wars – and stay in business with the Queen", "Beyoncé's Black Is King & 9 Other Visual Albums That Redefine Cinema", "The Best Movie Musicals Of All Time Bring More Than a Euphoric Blast of Jazz Hands", "The Best On-Screen Fashion Moments From 2020", "Opinion | It's been a tough year. In 2019, the DWP Academy posted their own choreography for the song after it was first released. As others are fleeing, the ancestor decides to place her baby in a basket and put it in the river to save the baby. It was released on July 19, 2019, as part of the film's inspired album The Lion King: The Gift. Knight worked with Mary Jeanette Ramsey, executive director of Aqualillies, to choreograph the routine. [11][12] The story of how the prince is exiled from his homeland to an alien world acts a parallel to the story of how Africans were forcibly removed from the continent and taken to the United States as slaves. Gonzalez also used a diffusion filter to bloom the highlights and make the images slightly softer, and made the window light bloom so that they conveyed a dream-like quality to the video. Beyoncé first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the R&B girl-group Destiny's Child, which became of the most successful girl groups in history. [42], Beyoncé explained that she believes The Gift "is the first soundtrack where it becomes visual in your mind". The couple gets married ("Keys to the Kingdom"), but he is plagued by self-doubt over his purpose. Homecoming: The Live Album Skip to Main Content; Music. When Beyoncé and co-director Kwasi Fordjour had creative differences over how the film should be, they made versions of the edit that spoke to both opinions and chose the edit that worked best. His role then evolved into an on-screen acting role as the "blue man". The new single, which is featured during a pivotal scene with an adult Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé) in the new movie, will also be featured on the additional "Lion King⦠[40] The same day, an accompanying tie-in album titled The Lion King: The Gift was released by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Shouts to @cambiowashere. [209], Many of the designers Beyoncé and her dancers wore in Black Is King saw triple-digit spikes in search traffic after the film's release. Together, we work to create the best comprehensive encyclopedia for the Lion King franchise. [214], 2020 American musical film and visual album by Beyoncé. Ordaz highlights a spoken word passage read by a man in the film, which states: "Many times, it’s the women that reassemble us. [137], An official trailer for Black Is King was released by Beyoncé on July 19, 2020. [51][61] Co-director Kwasi Fordjour described the excitement of the early development, saying: "Your adrenaline starts to rush and it becomes like, 'OK, what are we going to do, how are we going to do it, where do we start?' [151] Niellah Arboine of The Independent said Black Is King shows Beyoncé at her most experimental, with a cinematographic style where "every shot is a piece of art" and music genres that the film "seamlessly jumps through". [29] A wall of recycled containers was used in the "Water" video as a reference to Ghanaian installation artist Serge Attukwei Clottey as well as to environmentalism. [161] Cydney Henderson of USA Today praised how the film highlights African music genres and dance styles and "raw, untapped talent from performers around the world". [33], Hairstylist Neal Farinah recalled Beyoncé saying to him one Tuesday night: "Hey, I want to talk to you. "ALREADY" is a song composed by Beyoncé, Toumani Diabaté, Diplo, GuiltyBeatz, the Picard Brothers, Starrah, and Shatta Wale for the 2019 remake of The Lion King. I Just Can't Wait to Be King (2019 soundtrack), The Lion Sleeps Tonight (2019 soundtrack), Can You Feel the Love Tonight (2019 soundtrack), The Lion Guard (Music from the TV Series), https://lionking.fandom.com/wiki/Beyoncé?oldid=286091. [36], Co-director Kwasi Fordjour explained how throughout their lives, black men often face obstacles where they need to "decide how we want to navigate this world, the type of man we want to be". As a creator, it’s completely changed how I look at my art, how I look at Blackness in general, and how we communicate with each other globally. Nicholls called it "a dream come true, not just for me, not just for those children that were selected, but for all black children". Binge dropping in January", "Inspired By Beyoncé's Black is King: Creativity from Across the African Diaspora", "With a Beyoncé Boost, Marine Serre's Moon Print Becomes the Most Popular Design of 2020", "We're Loving These Hair And Makeup Looks Inspired By 'Black Is King, "Harry Styles, Beyoncé and BTS's RM Are 2020's Most Influential Dressers", "It Took the Beyhive Less Than 24 Hours to Learn the 'My Power' Choreography", I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Is_King&oldid=995280925, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using columns with the default column width, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The 27 Most Iconic Pop Culture Moments of 2020, The 50 best movies of the year, according to critics, The Best On-Screen Fashion Moments From 2020, 12 Pop Culture Moments That Made 2020 a Little More Bearable, The 10 Best On-Screen Performances of 2020, 10 Movies That Got Us Through Quarantine This Summer, Folajomi Akinmurele as a young prince, inspired by, Stephen Ojo as the blue man, a representation of the prince's subconscious, Sibusiso Mbeje as the prince's father, inspired by, Connie Chiume as the prince's mother, inspired by, This page was last edited on 20 December 2020, at 04:35.