Watch CBS News

Beyoncé just dropped an album and the Bey Hive is in love

Beyoncé has gifted her fans with a new album to accompany the highly anticipated live-action remake of "The Lion King."

"The Lion King: The Gift" is full of musical treats, with features from Beyoncé's rapper husband Jay-Z and even her 7-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The 14-track album, which the star has described as "a love letter to Africa," is separate from the movie's official soundtrack, but the singles featured are inspired by its story.

Beyoncé plays Nala in the Disney reboot, alongside Donald Glover as Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogan as Pumba and James Earl Jones, who voiced Mufasa in the original 1994 movie and returns to play Simba's father.

In addition to showcasing Beyoncé's vocals, "The Gift" also features her costar, Glover, performing as Childish Gambino, and superstars Pharrell and Kendrick Lamar. The playlist is a mix of musical tracks interspersed with various interludes from characters in the movie.

European Premiere of Disney's "The Lion King"
Beyoncé at the European premiere of Disney's "The Lion King" on July 14, 2019 in London. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Blue Ivy gets her moment to shine as she debuts her vocals on the fan-favorite track, "Brown Skin Girl," for which she is also credited as a writer. The youngster opens the track softly singing, "Brown skin girl, your skin just like pearls. The best thing in the world. Never trade you for anybody else," alongside Brooklyn-born artist SAINt JHN.

The musical tribute to Africa also incorporates lyrics in various languages such as Afrikaans and Swahili. Beyoncé told "Good Morning America" she wanted the project "to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa."

View this post on Instagram

🦁✨

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

The release of "The Lion King: The Gift" comes days after the music video premiere of "Spirit," the first single released from the official soundtrack. The video for the ballad was filmed at Arizona's Havasu Falls.

"The Lion King" is in theaters now.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.