Beyoncé loyalists and fans of The Lion King alike are sprinting to YouTube to watch her newly released music video for “Spirit,” the original song the superstar wrote for the movie soundtrack.
The video debuted Tuesday evening, July 16, 2019, on the ABC/Disney special The Lion King: Can You Feel the Love Tonight, hosted by Robin Roberts.
The video is a compilation of scenes from the computer-animated film intertwined with clips of the singer wearing an array of glamorous gowns amid spectacular landscapes and surrounded by dancers performing fluid choreography. Blue Ivy, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 7-year-old daughter, also makes an appearance in the video.
Despite its realistic feel, the “Spirit” music video wasn’t filmed in Africa. Some of the scenes were shot at the Grand Canyon. According to TMZ, the scene filmed near the water was at the Havasu Falls, on a reservation owned by the Havasupai tribe. The website posted pictures from the shoot and said the film crew obtained permits from the Havasupai tribe.
In the exclusive interview, Beyoncé — who voices Nala in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King — shared details about the movie soundtrack.
“The soundtrack is a love song to Africa,” Beyoncé explained.“ “I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa and not just use some of the sounds … and [I] did my interpretation of it. I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa.”
So far today, the “Spirit” video on YouTube has 1,946,984 views. You can watch Beyoncé’s “Spirit” music video below.
The film that will be released Friday, July 19, 2019, was directed by Jon Favreau and features Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Keegan-Michael Key, John Oliver, Eric André, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, and Alfre Woodard.
