UPDATE (7/19/19): Beyoncé released an extended version of the video, which clocks in at over eight minutes and functions as a video for “BIGGER” as well. Watch the extended cut below:
After sharing the tracklist for The Lion King: The Gift earlier today, Beyoncé followed up by dropping a music video for her song “Spirit.” You can watch the video below.
“The concept of the video is to show how God is the painter, and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction,” explained Beyoncé, during ABC’s The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight primetime special, where the video also debuted. “It’s the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition.”
Beyoncé is producing and curating The Lion King: The Gift, which is set to be released on July 19 to accompany Disney’s photorealistic computer-animated remake of 1994’s The Lion King. The movie features Beyoncé as the voice of Nala and hits theaters the same day the compilation (which is separate from the original motion picture soundtrack) will be released.
“Spirit” is the first single off of the album. In addition to multiple new Beyoncé songs, the album is set to feature American artists such as Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, and Tierra Whack as well as Nigerian artists like Wizkid, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Tekno, and Yemi Alade.
“This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa and 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,” said Beyoncé, to ABC News. “A lot of the drums, the chants, all of these incredible new sounds mixed with the producers from America—we’ve kind of created our own genre. I feel like the soundtrack becomes visual in your mind. It’s a soundscape. It’s more than just the music because each song tells the story of the film.”
The Houston singer has had quite a day—she was also nominated for three Emmys for her Netflix special Homecoming.
Watch the video above and read all the lyrics to “Spirit” on Genius now.
