Clockwise from Top. Beyoncé’s Black Is King. Black Is King is Beyoncé’s visual and musical companion to Disney’s 2019 remake of the Lion King. The film follows a young African king as he is exiled from his family and his journey to reclaim his family throne. It was largely filmed in West Africa, and features many African artists and actors. It serves as a vehicle for Beyoncé to break down Black and African stereotypes, and elevate a shared heritage. She uplifts brown and black skin tones and reinforces her thesis of empowerment throughout the film. We were especially taken by this quote by poet Warsan Shire: “We were beauty before we knew what beauty was.” Another interesting prop/element that was present in the film was the game of chess. Chess, traditionally associated with elite white intelligentsia, is reclaimed by the Knowles-Carters whose estate has a life size board with human chess pieces. The outfits in this scene were stunning and looked like a beautiful couture show. (Fittingly, Beyoncé played the queen chess piece.) Another favorite of ours was the desert scene. This were particularly eye-catching being that Beyoncé was dressed so extravagantly in such a stark climate. Raquel was particularly drawn to the cat eye sunglasses that were dripping in rhinestones (yes, even the lenses were covered), and plans to get a pair before our next trip to the Sahara.
TT Vol. 13
TT Vol. 13
TT Vol. 13
Clockwise from Top. Beyoncé’s Black Is King. Black Is King is Beyoncé’s visual and musical companion to Disney’s 2019 remake of the Lion King. The film follows a young African king as he is exiled from his family and his journey to reclaim his family throne. It was largely filmed in West Africa, and features many African artists and actors. It serves as a vehicle for Beyoncé to break down Black and African stereotypes, and elevate a shared heritage. She uplifts brown and black skin tones and reinforces her thesis of empowerment throughout the film. We were especially taken by this quote by poet Warsan Shire: “We were beauty before we knew what beauty was.” Another interesting prop/element that was present in the film was the game of chess. Chess, traditionally associated with elite white intelligentsia, is reclaimed by the Knowles-Carters whose estate has a life size board with human chess pieces. The outfits in this scene were stunning and looked like a beautiful couture show. (Fittingly, Beyoncé played the queen chess piece.) Another favorite of ours was the desert scene. This were particularly eye-catching being that Beyoncé was dressed so extravagantly in such a stark climate. Raquel was particularly drawn to the cat eye sunglasses that were dripping in rhinestones (yes, even the lenses were covered), and plans to get a pair before our next trip to the Sahara.