All Hail Queen Bey

Her latest Black is King extravaganza cements Beyoncé’s status as one of the world’s most powerful performers

- Nici De Wet

They don’t call her the queen for nothing. When it comes to raw power, sheer talent and all-round popularity, she really does own the throne, wear the crown and rule the roost.

Just call her Midas, the magic-maker who turns everything she touches into gold. And Beyoncé’s latest project is no exception.

Black is King, the visual album connected to last year’s remake of The Lion King, has been causing a frenzy since its recent release on the streaming service Disney+.

The Beyhive, as her legion of fans is known, is buzzing anew and critics have hailed it as a “visual masterpiece nobody should miss”.

Packed with rich imagery, it follows the story of young African king Simba who’s cast out of his family into an unforgiving world, following his journey to reclaim his lost identity and throne.

Beyoncé was the director, writer and producer and the offering is incredible, combining music, art and fashion into a glorious feast for the eyes and ears.

It also carries a message, as an offering from Bey always does: the importance of rediscovering your roots and owning them.

The 38-year-old powerhouse has increasingly used her music as a platform to express issues close to her heart and, as a fierce advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement, the visual album couldn’t have come at a better time.

“The events of 2020 have made the film’s vision and message even more relevant,” she wrote on social media.

“I believe that when black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our real history of generational wealth and richness of soul that isn’t told in our history books.”