The Lion King: The Gift [Deluxe Edition] is Beyoncé flexing her muscle as the powerhouse queen of the industry that she is. Inspired by ideals set forth in the recent Lion King remake, she describes this album as a "love letter to Africa". It's manifested in the repetitive, mesmerizing lyrics, "Motherland, motherland, motherland, drip on me". It is part of how she feels her power, and expresses that on "MY POWER", singing, "they'll never take my power, my power, my power." But this album is the sum of the collective power of all who participated in its creation, and there are no shortage of collaborators. To portray the authentic African styles, Beyoncé partnered with some of the biggest names in African music (from all over the continent), and let them use their voices in their own way. As a result, this album feels like a triumph that will stay relevant for quite sometime. As a bonus, Beyoncé released an hour and twenty five minute visual album that is truly breathtaking.
Release date: July 31, 2020
Similar artist(s): Rihanna, Solange
Top tracks: BLACK PARADE, BIGGER, OTHERSIDE, JA ARA E