Review 'The Lion King: The Gift'

The moment that everyone has been waiting for, and that is the return of The Lion King. For some, this will be more of a nostalgic experience, for others; this might be the first time you ever heard what The Lion King is.

As folks line up across America to enjoy this experience, Beyonce, who plays Nala, blessed our ears with a melodic soundtrack that adds to the movie-going experience. In an interview with ABC, News Beyonce introduces the album as "a love letter to Africa." Beyonce is using her star power to shed light not only on her talent and performance abilities, but to introduce a world that many find non-existent.

In her documentary Homecoming, she wanted to provide insight into the culture and experience of an HBCU, which simply stands for historically black college or university. She carried that same objective when becoming an executive producer of the album The Lion King: The Gift. The sound throughout the album reflects a genre of music many people aren't familiar with, and that is Afrobeats. Afrobeats originated in Nigeria and Ghana. Its sound is a mixture of smooth jazz, 70s funk, and hip hop. It's lightweight to the ears, but the smoothness of the chants is equivalent to your nature sounds playlist on Spotify. The album consists of 27 songs that won't need a skip button. Every song reflected the same objective of "being a gift." After listening to the album a couple of times, loving every song, as if I heard it for the first time. There were four songs I enjoyed the most. I took the liberty to give a description or synopsis on what each of these songs means to me.

"SPIRIT"

An inspirational song that motivates you to learn, examine, and embrace your past, to love and be true to one's self. To live a life proudly and unapologetically. Each song describes a pivotal moment in the movie, and then connects the audience to the story line. With the single, Beyonce decided to provide imagery that is parallel to the continent of Africa.

Beyonce Explaining The Concept Of The Album

"I wanted to put everyone on their... journey to link the storyline," she continued. "Each song was written to reflect the film's storytelling that gives the listener a chance to imagine their... 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. Authenticity and heart were important to me."

"NILE"

Features Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar. In this 1:47 song, it reminds the listener that the Nile River is the longest river in Africa. The pronunciation of the Nile sounds like denial. Lamar's voice sounds hypnotizing, as he describes the length of the Nile river. It gives us the pure wisdom Rafiki gives Simba; you can either "Run from it or learn from it." Embrace the length of the Nile to have a joyful swim, or don't embrace it, which will make the river less enjoyable and more robust to swim and navigate.

"BROWN SKIN GIRL"

Miss Blue Ivy leads the opening of the song with lyrics "Brown skin girl. Your skin just like pearls. The best thing in the world. Never trade you for anybody else." Those lyrics are followed up by African artists Wizkid and SAINt JHN. The track provides a simple reminder that self-love and confidence should be taught and displayed from the male and female perspective. It provides an anchor on how a young girl navigates in life.

"MOOD 4 EVA"

The track features her husband, Jay-Z and rapper/ actor Childish Gambino. The vibe you get throughout this track is once the discovery of oneself happens, you are comfortable and confident in your skin. You walk into any room proud of who you are. You represent your culture with the fashions and jewelry you wear. Beyonce also gives us a quick history lesson of historical African queens and goddesses. Two of them being Yoruba Osun, which is associated with water, purity, fertility, love and sensuality and Queen Sheba who has been studied by historians for centuries. Jay-Z made it a point to show his respect to the late great Nipsey Hussle with lyrics such as "The marathon will be televised for N.I.P. Cause true kings don't die, we multiply, peace."

This album shows Beyonce's versatility. The subject matter of each song isn't your typical riding on surfboards and moving boxes to the left. Based on the rating of the movie, she scaled it back a little, and challenged herself to create music and a sound that will last forever. We currently live in a society where people want things quick, fast, and in a hurry. You will not get that vibe with this album. The length of the album alone will test your patience. The mixture of sounds and vocals throughout each song will take your ears on a ride that will make you forget about the length of the album.

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