Beyoncé's New Lion King Song Is the Perfect Power Anthem of 2019

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(Image credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix)

published 10 July 2019

Early this morning, the new original Beyoncé single "Spirit" from The Lion King soundtrack was released.
Surprising absolutely no one, the song is gooooorgeous and so powerful (and will hopefully nab her an Oscar).
Later this month, Beyoncé and Meghan Markle may meet at the premiere in London—which would be yet another iconic moment.

So, we knew that Beyoncé was giving us a new song in connection with the new Lion King film. Finally, everyone's patience was rewarded: the single, "Spirit," was just released early this morning, making everyone in the Beyhive (and anyone who's a fan of The Lion King original music, so basically everyone on Earth) lose their collective minds. The new single is the perfect combination of nostalgia for the original film, a vehicle for Beyoncé's out-of-this-world vocals, and glorious, powerful lyrics. "Watch the light lift your heart up/Burn your flame through the night" had me in tears, people. I'm calling it now: This is the power anthem of 2019. I really needed this right now.

According to director Jon Favreau, the fact that it sounds so perfect with the vibe of the movie is deliberate:

“We have all the original songs, but there’s a song that [Beyoncé] performed and wrote in the spirit of the production along with working with Lebo M., who’s part of it with Hans Zimmer...They were all collaborating with her and helping to bring this new piece of music into a film where there’s already a very established musical personality to the piece...So it was nice of them to have them working with her to allow the new song to feel organically a part of the new production."

And that's not all—apparently we're getting a whole album. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Disney on Tuesday announced on social media that the Lemonade performer would be producing and curating The Lion King: The Gift, a new album of songs featuring global recording artists and 'steeped in the sounds of Africa,' which is set to bow July 19."

Here's the song:

Ok, but seriously, please let the song be nominated for an Oscar so that we can get a live performance of it, so that I can start weeping all over again. Can you even imagine how beautiful that would be?? I'm already adding it to all my playlists so by that point, I'll know all the words by heart.

Beyoncé walked the red carpet for the film premiere literally dripping in diamonds while all this news was unfolding around her:

Bow down, everybody. Nala's here.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.