Consider this our petition to change the name to The Lion QUEEN. Seriously—everybody stop what you are doing. Beyoncé’s “Spirit,” meaning from The Lion King, is here, and it’s better than we ever could’ve dreamed. When the track list for Disney’s latest remake was released there was a glaring song missing—track #14 wasn’t listed. Well folks, now we know why! They were waiting to hit us with one of the best displays of Beyoncé’s vocals, heart and soul, at a moment they deemed appropriate. And today is that moment. (Perfect timing considering the cast and production team celebrated the premiere of The Lion King last night. Beyoncé and Blue Ivy looked flawless BTW—but are you surprised?)
The placement of this song in the upcoming film comes right after “Reflections of Mufasa” and just before the “Battle for Pride Rock.” So naturally, we think it’s safe to say “Spirit” is the perfect anthem to inspire Simba to return to Pride Rock and protect his family’s land. Nala will give him the strength and courage to return and save his home from his evil uncle, Scar. With lyrics like, “Your destiny is coming close, stand up and fight. So go into that far off land and be one with the great lion,” how could he not do just that?
We must add that the song blends perfectly with the previous hits from the OG Lion King film. The song, which is just over four minutes, begins with some soft African chanting. Beyoncé’s stunning voice comes in, gently at first, before building to a booming chorus. Have a listen:
“Spirit” will, of course, be featured on The Lion King album, but it will also be the first single on Beyoncé’s curated album—The Lion King: A Gift—which will be released on the same day as the film (July 18). The Gift album is different from the soundtrack of the film because it includes songs from many of Beyoncé’s favorite artists. Much like “Spirit,” the new songs will be inspired by The Lion King.
Beyoncé shared the news of her upcoming curated album when “Spirit” was released. She explained that The Gift will feature a mix of genres, to allow listeners to experience the classic story is a completely new way:
This is sonic cinema. This is a new experience of storytelling. I wanted to do more than find a collection of songs that were inspired by the film. It is a mixture of genres and collaboration that isn’t one sound. It is influenced by everything from R&B, hip-hop and Afro Beat.
Twitter doesn’t even know what to do with itself. Fans are besotted with the new single and memes/gifs are the perfect outlet. Take a look.
