'Black Is King' Teaser: Beyoncé's Visual Album Inspired By 'The Lion King' Drops On Disney+ In July

The Queen has returned. A year after Disney's CG remake of The Lion King hit theaters alongside Beyoncé's accompanying music album inspired by the iconic songs of the animated film, Disney suddenly announced that the music superstar is releasing a visual album, Black is King, on Disney+. Written and directed by Beyoncé, Black is King takes songs from her The Lion King-inspired album The Gift and "reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns." Watch the Black is King teaser below.

It wouldn't be a Beyoncé album without a surprise release, but there are extra layers of the unexpected to the superstar's upcoming Black is King. Inspired by her album The Lion King: The Gift, which recruited several artists to create music inspired by the music of The Lion King, the visual album looks to be an exceptionally powerful statement on the Black experience and way more radical than anything Disney+ has ever debuted. Remember, this is the streaming platform that censored mermaid butts and gave away a LGBTQ teen series to Hulu over "adult themes." While Beyoncé's original The Gift album was indeed unfiltered in its tackling of the Black experience, it still felt very much like a separate entity from Disney. But here Disney+ is, hosting a Beyoncé visual album that is sure to tap into the pulse of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and touch on uncomfortable racial issues.

Black is King, which Beyoncé writes, directs, and executive produces, was in production for one year and was created to "reimagine the lessons of "The Lion King" for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns." The visual album will feature videos for hit songs from the album including "My Power," "Mood 4 Eva" and "Brown Skin Girl" in "a story for the ages that informs and rebuilds the present."

Here is the synopsis for Black is King:

The voyages of Black families, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a young king's transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity. His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his father's teachings and guidance from his childhood love, he earns the virtues needed to reclaim his home and throne. These timeless lessons are revealed and reflected through Black voices of today, now sitting in their own power.  "Black Is King" is an affirmation of a grand purpose, with lush visuals that celebrate Black resilience and culture. The film highlights the beauty of tradition and Black excellence.

Black is King will premiere globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020, a little after the one-year anniversary of the July 2019 release of The Lion King remake.