Beyonce in London sat down with ‘Good Morning America’ and shared the inspiration behind “The Lion King” soundtrack album that she curated and produced.
The superstar worked tirelessly to create “The Lion King: The Gift,” which The Queen described as “a love letter to Africa.” She explained how the album evokes a new genre of music through soundscapes that tell the story as it unfolds in the movie.
“This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa, and I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it,” Beyonce told ABC News.
“I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa,” she said, adding that they used “a lot” of drums and “incredible new sounds mixed with some of the producers from America.”
Beyonce continued, “We’ve kind of created our own genre, and I feel like the soundtrack is the first soundtrack where it becomes visual in your in your mind. The soundscape is more than just the music because each song tells the story of the film.”
The original soundtrack from the 1994 release placed No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for 10 nonconsecutive weeks and is certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America after 10 million units sold. The soundtrack also won two Academy Awards — original song and original score — four Grammys and two Golden Globes.
“The Lion King: The Gift” is scheduled to be released July 19, the same day the film hits theaters.
