You should be dazzled with the tripartite role taken on by Beyonce in her arthouse remake of the
Lion King, which she named
Black is King. Beyonce is the mother, goddess, and narrator, that’s not because the director loves her, as she’s the director. It’s a combination of her lifelong music career and her 20 years of experience in film making. With
Black is King, she took her journey in the two fields to a new high, one that can be considered as the
zenith of her two careers.
In about 86 minutes, Beyonce creates imagery that retold the stories of Black belonging and identity. She used the album to create and answer questions. Ones that will forever be in the mind of people beyond the human race. In essence, the aim of Beyonce is not just to showcase the richness of her music. More importantly, restoring the lost greatness of her lineage. If you’ve taken time to watch Black is King, you’ll agree that she indeed does justice to her thesis.
While Beyonce is known to be a visual thinker, her prowess was further established with what she did with
Black is King. Not forgetting that Black is King is not a standalone but a combination and collaboration with black voices. She’s created magic with African artists such as Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, and Shatta Wale. Not leaving out the critical Black American voices like Jay Z, Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, Tierra Whack, and more.
The Storytelling of Beyonce's Black is King
Borrowing from the biblical story of Moses in Egypt. The beginning of Beyonce's
Black is King stated the need for blacks to be collected, reborn, renewed, and given access to a new world free of all infractions. The baby has to pass through rough and turbulent waters before reaching the promised land while sailing on the water; it is expected that the transformative power of water comes into effect.
Outside of the fusion of agelong experience, the storytelling and visual effects of
Black is King is a narration of wandering, soul searching, and seeking of identity. This has been the focus of Beyonce right from her last album. In
Homecoming, where she dwelt heavily on the politics of representation. What Beyonce is doing is using music as a conduit to highlight the hyper-excellence in the everyday life of black people.
How Black is King Became a Trend Upon Release
Queen Bey has beyond fans; she’s got a whole army of fanatics rooting for her. The marketing strategy of
Black is King is built on community, collaboration, and fanaticism. Forget what is being done on social media, especially Twitter, the album would still have become an instant success regardless.
But we should also commend Beyonce for how she was able to keep things mysterious until the point of release. While everyone knew she’s cooking something in her pot of creativity, no one knew what it was and could not even guess.
