Only 4 Songs From ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ Are Performed Entirely by Beyoncé
Beyoncé voiced Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, performing songs “Spirit” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” for the production. Queen Bey released her Disney-inspired album The Lion King: The Gift, featuring the voices of several award-winning artists in the process.
Here’s what we know about the songs exclusively performed by Beyoncé on The Lion King: The Gift.
Beyoncé featured other artists on her Disney-inspired album ‘The Lion King: The Gift’
Beyoncé is Queen Bey for a reason, appearing as a star both on and off the screen. In 2019, she appeared in Disney’s photo-real adaptation of The Lion King, even creating an album based on the film. The Lion King: The Gift technically features 27 tracks, some of which are spoken moments from The Lion King.
Pharrell, Jessie Reyez, Tekno, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Salatiel, SAINt JHN, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Tierra Whack, Busiswa, Moonchild Sanelly, and 070 Shake appeared alongside Beyoncé for The Lion King: The Gift.
Beyoncé also performed some songs on this release as a solo artist. That includes the track featured in Disney’s The Lion King, “Spirit.”
Beyoncé only performs as a solo artist for four songs on ‘The Lion King: The Gift’
Beyoncé performed several The Lion King: The Gift tracks alongside other singers. “Brown Skin Girl” included the voice of Blue Ivy Carter, while “Mood 4 Eva” featured Jay-Z. There are only four songs on this album credited entirely to Beyoncé. That includes “Bigger,” “Find Your Way Back,” and “Otherside.”
Of course, Beyoncé is also credited as the artist behind “Spirit,” a new song featured in the photo-real adaptation of The Lion King. This song plays during the film as Simba runs back to Pride Rock. As a result, “Spirit” was added to the official movie soundtrack and The Lion King: The Gift.
Beyoncé released the “Bigger” and “Spirit” music videos ahead of the Black Is King visual album debut, earning millions of views on YouTube. In conjunction with the deluxe version of The Lion King: The Gift, Beyoncé also added her Juneteenth release, “Black Parade.”
Beyoncé released a visual album for ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ — ‘Black Is King’
In conjunction with Disney, Beyoncé released the Disney+ exclusive visual album Black is King. The movie further illustrated the story of The Lion King: The Gift. There were, of course, appearances from Blue Ivy and Jay-Z. When the music first debuted, Beyoncé revealed why she featured other artists in her album.
“I wanted to put everyone on their own journey to link the storyline,” Beyoncé said in a statement. “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,” she continued. “Authenticity and heart were important to me.”
