Black is King Reaffirms Beyoncé As Entertainment Royalty

I’ve long been critical of Disney’s live-action remakes of their classic animated films. Not all of them are bad but the majority of these titles just do nothing for me. Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Beauty and the Beast. So many hollow remakes of once-vibrant animated films rigidly recreating moments of the past without offering anything new. However, I’d be way more tolerant of these films if they all spawned spin-off material as interesting as Black is King. This visual album from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is based off the album The Lion King: The Gift, which was tied into last years Lion King redo. Basically, if this means that, say, a live-action Aristocats movie would then spawn a visual album from Fiona Apple, then yes, I’m good with live-action remakes of animated Disney movies.

For those unfamiliar with the term visual album, it’s basically a string of music videos tied together. Each song on an album gets a music video, hence the term visual album Much like Beyoncé’s 2016 film Lemonade, Black is King see’s an assortment of directors helming differing parts of the singular feature. Tying the whole thing together is a plotline about a young African king banished from his home who must discover himself in a relentless world. That plotline might sound a tad familiar. The similarities are reinforced by recurring pieces of voice-over from  the 2019 Lion King movie (like Scar telling Simba to run away or Timon explaining Hakuna Matata) that play over thematically relevant parts of Black is King.

The attempts to shoehorn in explicit references to the 2019 Lion King movie are easily the weakest part of Black is King. Mostly, it’s because the lively on-screen imagery of Black is King reinforces just how dull Lion King’s voicework was. There’s nothing in the stale dialogue of Lion King that couldn’t be better conveyed through the imagery captured by the various cinematographers of Black is King (a group that includes Laura Merians and Mohammaed Atta Ahmed). It’s also peculiar (though also somewhat appreciated) that the recurring Lion King dialogue just fades away from Black is King halfway through the runtime. This is a minor nitpick, though considering how Black is King is otherwise an incredible show.

Anyone who saw Beyoncé: Homecoming last year knows that Beyoncé knows how to make a great piece of entertainment that magically fuses together music and visuals. That gift is alive and well throughout Black is King, but especially in the Brown Skinned Girl segment. Artists like Beyoncé and WizKid sing touching affirmative lyrics covering, as Billboard put it perfectly, “colorism faced by darker-complexioned women.”   This informs such a sense of warmth and empathy in the camerawork as it lingers on the bodies of the various people it captures (including Lupita Nyong’o). Oh, and nearly everyone in this segment is adorned in lavish ballgowns, as if there wasn’t enough visually captivating material already!

The Brown Skinned Girl segment epitomizes Black is King and much of Beyoncé’s trailblazing work. It’s so entertaining to listen to and watch. Yet, within every part of the segment (from the song lyrics to the camerawork to the costumes) there’s also layers upon layers of thoughtful commentary on experiences specific to women of color. You could unpack this stuff for days on end! Impressively, Black is King keeps up this level of visual thoughtfulness for its entire 85-minute runtime.  The visual splendor benefits from the outstanding costume design work of Zerina Akers.

It also benefits from the choice to have nine different filmmakers (including Beyoncé herself) helming different parts of the production. There’s variety across the unique creative voices reflected in Black is King, which ensures that things never get repetitive. Among those directors, I was especially excited to see Blitz Bazawule in here. His work on The Burial of Kojo last year was exceptional, particularly on a visual level. In that film, he delivered such bold and thoughtful imagery that perfectly reflected the mindset of that films young girl protagonist. His proclivity for such visuals means he’s perfect for Black is King.

Of course, though Bazawule and the other seven directors of Black is King leave their mark on this production, this is, above all else, a production from the mind of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. This is most evident in a segment dedicated to the song My Power, which radiates the kind of self-confident energy the most iconic Beyoncé songs (like Formation and Single Ladies) have been built upon. For My Power, Beyoncé and fellow singers like Nija and Busiswa perform this number in sets and costumes that frequently conjure up the word “trippy”. Having already heard this song numerous times before, it was great to practically rediscover it all over again thanks to how visually inventive its segment in Black is King is.

Allow me to restate it again; if more live-action Disney remakes inspired material as engaging as Black is King, then bring on a live-action Rescuers remake.

For further reading on Black is King, consider these pieces written by women of color:

Beyoncé’s Black Is King Is the Afrocentric Fashion Moment We’ve Been Waiting For by Janelle Okwodu

Black Is King review – Beyoncé’s love song to the black diaspora by Chanté Joseph

Black Is King is Beyoncé's stunning ode to African glory by Allegra Frank

Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' Is Exactly What We Need Right Now by Candace Macduffie