Beyoncé Just Dropped ‘Spirit’, A New Song From The Live-Action ‘The Lion King’
...And there's an album coming, too.
Ahead of The Lion King‘s release next Thursday, Beyoncé has released ‘Spirit’, an original song written and recorded for the live-action remake.
The song is the only original song to feature in the adaptation (which also stars Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, Eric André and many more favourites), but Beyoncé has also announced The Lion King: The Gift, an album she produced and ‘curated’, will be released alongside the film — separate to the film’s soundtrack, out this Friday.
A statement accompanying ‘Spirit”s release says the album will feature “new recordings” by Beyoncé, including ‘multi-genre symphonies’ and features from cross-diaspora, global artists.
More will be revealed in time, but surely we’re getting at least one Beyoncé x Childish Gambino song, right? At the very least, we’ll have the two singing together in the actual film soundtrack — and judging by the snippet we’ve heard so far, it’s as good as you imagine.
“[The album] is sonic cinema,” says Beyoncé about the album, re; the statement. “This is a new experience of storytelling. I wanted to do more than find a collection of songs that were inspired by the film. 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. 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.”
As far as we can tell, The Gift is similar in scope to the Black Panther album, similarly ‘curated’ by Kendrick Lamar and SZA and ‘inspired’ by the film.
‘Spirit’ was co-written with original The Lion King composers Lebo M. and Hans Zimmer.
Listen to ‘Spirit’ below. The Lion King is out Thursday 19 July.