Exciting day for the Beyhive!
Disney announced on Tuesday that the musician has produced and curated a new album titled The Lion King: The Gift, which will drop on July 19 ahead of the film’s release.
The album will feature global artists and be “steeped into the sounds of Africa,” according a post on the film’s Twitter account.
The project is separate to the movie’s official soundtrack, releasing digitally on July 11, however the first single from both records is the same -- Beyonce’s song, “Spirit,” which was released on Tuesday night.
Dropped: @Beyonce. "Spirit" (From Disney's 'The Lion King'). https://t.co/A3Jxxm3Wvgpic.twitter.com/JhVRqSZYHa
Fans quickly responded with their excitement, one simply replying with exclamation marks, while another wrote, “Coming for an Oscar.”
“The Lion King: The Gift,” an album featuring global artists & steeped in the sounds of Africa, produced & curated by @Beyonce Knowles-Carter, will release 7/19. “Spirit,” the single from the album & soundtrack for The Lion King, will be available tonight. https://t.co/IbMpQvJ97Upic.twitter.com/AA7Fxl7hb7
According to press release, “Spirit” is a song which plays in the film during a key scene involving Nala, the character which Beyonce voices in the movie, a live action remake of the 1994 movie.
The track was written by IIya Salmanzadeh, Timothy McKenzie and Beyoncé and produced by Beyoncé, Salmanzadeh and Labrinth.
“I wanted to do more than find a collection of songs that were inspired by the film,” Beyonce said about The Lion King: The Gift, which also promised “unexpected collaborations and pulsating rhythms,” according to the press release. “It is a mixture of genres and collaboration that isn't one sound. It is influenced by everything from R&B, pop, hip hop and Afro Beat."
"I wanted to put everyone on their own journey to link the storyline," she added, about how each artist’s own connection with the loved movie was incorporated into the music. "Each song was written to reflect the film's storytelling that gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery, while listening to a new contemporary interpretation. It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers. Authenticity and heart were important to me."
See more on The Lion King below.
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