The Blind Spot of Beyoncé’s <em>Lion King</em> Soundtrack

On Tuesday night, Beyoncé made a bold, sentimental dedication. Speaking with ABC News’s Robin Roberts during a special program that aired ahead of the new Lion King’s release, the singer explained the motivations behind the compilation album she executive-produced as an accompaniment to the film. “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,” she said, of The Lion King: The Gift. “I wanted it to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa. ”

During the Roberts special, Beyoncé also premiered the video for her new song “Spirit,” which plays during the movie and is included on the album. “Spirit” begins with a Swahili chant that translates to “Long live the king.” (The.”