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'Black is King': Beyoncé dedicates celebration of Black beauty, retelling of 'Lion King' to son

Beyoncé has spoken.

The trailblazer, 38, continued her push toward equality with the release of her raw and honest visual album "Black is King" (now streaming on Disney+),which explores the beauty of blackness that is at best undervalued and at worst discriminated against.

Production on "Black is King" started one year ago as a companion piece to "The Lion King: The Gift” soundtrack, which Beyoncé produced after starring as Nala in the 2019 Disney remake. But her visual album has taken on new meaning following the reemergence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against police brutality and racism, social causes Beyoncé has lent her star power to.

"If you think you are insignificant, you better think again," Beyoncé sings to a newborn baby cradled in her arm as waves wash against the shore and her flawlessly draped asymmetrical gown.

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The all-encompassing experience takes viewers on the worldwide journey of a young king's quest through self-identity – from Beyoncé's backyard (literally) to Johannesburg and the Grand Canyon – by way of stunning visuals full of song, dance, fashion and breathtaking scenery.

How to watch: Beyoncé's new visual album 'Black is King' on Disney+

'Black is King': Blue Ivy Carter makes adorable appearance in mom Beyoncé's new trailer

Beyoncé wears cheetah print in her upcoming visual album, "Black is King."
Beyoncé wears cheetah print in her upcoming visual album, "Black is King."

In the opening scenes to "BIGGER," Beyoncé marks a young boy's face with white paint to anoint the future king, an act similar to the one Rafiki performed on newborn Simba in the "Lion King."

The future king is led astray on his discovery by betrayal on "Don’t Jealous Me" (where Beyoncé is draped in a yellow boa constrictor) and "SCAR" (where Mufasa is hit by a motorcycle, the equivalent to the wildebeest stampede in the original film.)

Like viewers watched Simba grow from a cub to a Lion over the course of "Hakuna Matata," the young prince ages to a familiar face – Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) – as the familiar tune plays overhead.

The camera cuts back and forth from the young prince to Jay-Z the two alternate rapping verses in "MOOD FOR EVA."

The Carters are a major mood as they live in the lap of Black luxury while performing the upbeat single, complete with a garden tea party featuring Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, and Destiny Child bandmate Kelly Rowland and a human chessboard where Beyoncé is rightfully queen.

Trailer: Beyoncé unveils longer trailer for visual album 'Black Is King' and Twitter goes bonkers

'Brown Skin Girl': Beyonce fans can't get enough of 'The Lion King: The Gift' new song

The star power didn’t stop there. Pharrell Williams makes an appearance on "WATER" and the debutante-themed music video for "BROWN SKIN GIRL" features Naomi Campbell, Lupita Nyong'o, Rowland, Knowles-Lawson and Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughters, Blue Ivy, 8, and Rumi Carter, 3.

"We have always been wonderful," Beyoncé says while flawlessly blending spoken word, imagery and song. "I see us reflected in the world’s most heavenly things. Black is King. We were beauty before they knew what beauty was."

The real star of the visual film, however, is the raw, untapped talent from performers around the world showcasing their rich tradition and culture, history and lineage. "Black is King" serves as an ode to Pan-African culture. It taps into the often overlooked Afrobeats genre and puts the spotlight on less mainstream superstars like Wizkid and Shatta Wale while employing popular African dances like the gbese, gwara and zanku.

"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance," said James Earl Jones, who voices Mufasa in "Lion King." "You need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. We are all connected in the great circle of life."

Beyoncé closes "Black is King" with a celestial performance of "SPIRIT" alongside a colorful choir and Blue Ivy, who makes numerous appearances throughout her mother's "passion project."

The songstress dedicate her "labor of love” to her 3-year-old son, Sir Carter: "To all our sons and daughters, the sun and the moon bow for you. You are the keys to the kingdom."

Beyonce seeks 'swift and decisive action,' urges arrest of police involved in Breonna Taylor's death

More: How Beyonce's 'Lion King' 'Spirit' video shut down remote Grand Canyon waterfalls

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Black is King': Beyoncé celebrates Black history, beauty