Beyoncé
Black is King
- DirectorBeyoncé
- Co-directorBlitz Bazawule, Jenn Nkiru & Ibra Ake
- Executive ProducerBeyoncé
- Production CompanyParkwood Entertainment & Disney+
DITTE MILSTED There is no one like Beyoncé - she is an eternal source of inspiration to me. She keeps pushing the limits and I love that she goes all in every time she does something new. She doesn't have to create a superior, impressive and very expensive musical film when she releases a new album - but she does it anyway and it's ever so inspiring. She is the essence of cool.
A Love Letter to Africa
When Beyoncé released Black Is King on Disney+ in 2020, it was immediately clear that this was more than just a visual album - it was a cultural statement. Inspired by The Lion King: The Gift, the project reimagines the classic story of The Lion King through the lens of the African diaspora, following a young boy on a journey of self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and reclaiming his heritage.
Filmed across three continents - including the U.S., U.K., Ghana, Nigeria, Belgium, and South Africa - Black Is King brings together an international team of directors, choreographers, designers, and artists to create a cinematic tapestry that celebrates African beauty, tradition, and innovation. The film pulses with rich symbolism: Beyoncé embodies Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of love and water; generational beauty is celebrated in the “Brown Skin Girl” segment featuring Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong’o, and Blue Ivy; and Afrofuturist fashion merges modernity with ancestral pride.
Beyoncé intentionally centers African storytelling, pushing back against reductive portrayals of the continent. The film is both a personal and collective statement - a “love letter to Africa,” as Beyoncé describes it - honoring ancestry while projecting Black excellence into the future. Its music, drawn from The Lion King: The Gift, features a star-studded roster of artists including Wizkid, Burna Boy, Jay-Z, and Blue Ivy, adding layers of rhythm, soul, and storytelling to the visuals.
Beyond the music and stunning cinematography, Black Is King has sparked global conversations about representation, artistry, and cultural ownership. Every frame is meticulously crafted, every movement symbolic, and every story intentional. In blending myth, history, and modernity, Beyoncé has delivered not just a visual album, but a landmark celebration of identity, pride, and power.
