Beyonce wows fans with visual album Black Is King
POP ROYALTY BEYONCE on Friday released her much-hyped visual album Black Is King - an aesthetically ambitious video billed as a companion to her 2019 album of songs inspired by Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King.
The highly stylised visual narrative released on Disney Plus (OSN Streaming in the UAE) runs an hour and 25 minutes and, akin to The Lion King, tells the story of a young boy who navigates an onerous world, finding himself far from his family.
The work is an ode to the black experience rife with vibrant imagery celebrating the African diaspora, an aesthetic exploration of black history, power and success that also references colonialism, economic disparity and racism.
Beyonce had described the work as a “labour of love,” that now serves “a greater purpose” than its original role as a companion piece to The Lion King: The Gift, given the current sociopolitical climate.
Powered by lush visuals and Beyonce’s soaring vocals, Black
Is King places heavy emphasis on notions of family and motherhood along with more philosophical threads of origin and legacy.
A-listers including the superstar’s hip hop mogul husband Jay-z, actress Lupita Nyong’o, jack-of-alltrades Pharrell Williams and model Naomi Campbell all feature in the production.
Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowleslawson and former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland also make appearances, as well as daughter Blue Ivy and rare footage of her twins, Rumi Carter and Sir Carter.
Beyonce also has faced criticism, especially from outside the United States, for deploying what some call stereotypical visuals of “African tradition” — face paint and feathers, for example.
Many social media users noted that Disney Plus is not accesible in African nations, and that while Beyonce has performed some shows on the continent, her tours haven’t included dates there in years.
“Someone with the range must unpack how our beloved queen Beyonce is reducing blackness and Africanness to aesthetics and the western imaginations of our existence,” tweeted one user, Paballo Chauke.
“They must also speak about how it’s now profitable to do such gimmicks.”
Still, the Bey Hive — Beyonce’s legion of ardent fans — voiced elation over the release of Black Is King, which quickly became a top trending hashtag.