Beyoncé Says Lion King Album Is “A Love Letter To Africa”
Beyoncé says The Gift, The Lion King companion album that she worked tirelessly to create, is “a love letter to Africa,” and explained how she was able to evoke a new genre of music through soundscapes that paint a picture of what unfolds in the movie.
“I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds, and did my interpretation of it,” Bey told ABC News, as part of tonight’s special, The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts.
“I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa,” she said, adding that they used “a lot” of drums and “incredible new sounds, mixed with some of the producers from America.”
The Beyoncé-produced-and-curated compilation album, The Lion King: The Gift, features global artists and is due out July 19, the same day the film hits theaters.
“We’ve kind of created our own genre and I feel like the soundtrack is the first soundtrack where it becomes visual in your mind,” she explained. “The soundscape is more than just the music because each song tells the story of the film.”
Music from the original 1994 version of The Lion King won two Academy Awards, four Grammys and two Golden Globes. The soundtrack for the new CGI version of the film, featuring Beyonce and co-stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, is out now.
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The album opens with a fresh single from the singer titled “Bigger.” Bey appears alongside Kendrick on “The Nile,” meanwhile “Brown Skin Girl” features an appearance from her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
Other songs featuring the global star include “Find Your Way Back (Circle of Life),” “Mood 4 Eva” with JAY-Z and Childish Gambino, “Otherside,” “Water,” “Already” and the previously released “Spirit.”
Other artists included on the effort include Tekno, Mr Eazi, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, SAINt JHN, Wiz Kid, Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Jessie Reyez and 070 Shake.
The Lion King motion picture opens in theaters on Thursday.
Here’s The Lion King: The Gift tracklist:
Beyoncé, “Bigger”
Beyoncé, “Find Your Way Back (Circle of Life)”
Tekno, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, “Don’t Jealous Me”
Burna Boy, “Ja Ara E”
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, “The Nile”
Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, “Mood 4 Eva”
Salatiel, Pharrell, Beyoncé, “Water”
Blue Ivy Carter, SAINt JHN, WizKid, Beyoncé, “Brown Skin Girl”
Tiwa Savage, Mr. Eazi, “Keys to the Kingdom”
Beyoncé, “Otherside”
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, “Already”
Tierra Whack, Beyoncé, Busiswa, Yemi Alade, Moonchild Sanelly, “My Power”
070 Shake, Jessie Reyez, “Scar”
Beyoncé, “Spirit”
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