If you are a Beyonce fan you have probably already seen Black Is King! . Black Is King is Beyonce’s visual and musical adaptation of the Lion King from an Afrocentric perspective! The Music videos in Black is King are beautiful, and show diverse African cultures but some of what Beyonce has done in Black is King is something Solange already did in the music video Losing you!
Losing you compared to Black is King
Losing you by Solange was filmed in South Africa! What i see when i watch Losing You is a subtle showcase of South African culture, people and some what way of life. I also see a beautiful woman (Solange) Standing in the midst of poverty and dirt and calling that art.
Whats more interesting in Losing You is the strong presence of African, dark skin men in the video, wearing bright, dapper drip. The strong presence of men in Solange Losing You does not have visual context apart of aesthetics and accessories. Black is King, in contrast to Losing you, has a strong male presence because men are the subject matter of the Film!
Solange did it first
Regardless of the context of the video, Losing You stands out as a beautiful music video with it’s own flaws! But when you compare Solange with Beyonce, Solange was the first one to use South Africa as an accessory or backdrop, between the two! Black Is King is a film that showcases how beautiful African Countries are but it also shines a spotlight on how deeply disadvantaged and poor Africa is, in terms of infrastructure development, living and breathing space! But within that poverty are beautiful minds! Our people have managed to dodge some heavy curve balls and we have managed to build and grow and surpass the ceilings they thought they had built above us!
Black is King
I love the messages that pop up here and there in Black is King! According to me, the theme of the movie is KNOW YOURSELF! And to me, that is a powerful tool to have. The ability to think of yourself outside of yourself and decide for yourself who you want to be because you know who you are, where you come form! And, because of that, you know where you are going! Pure Power!
Recycling ideas
They say that there is nothing new under the sun! Well, if you did not believe it, now you can see how ideas are constantly being recycled! And the recycling is blatant and in your face! That being said, two sisters that come from the same womb can have a certain inclination to the same ideas. So, you would find that Beyonce probably had the idea of ‘using’ africa in one future her music videos way before Solange Losing You was even conceptualised, offered to mainstream media and published on Youtube
Beyonce out of the BOX
So the sisters have created similar music videos in the space of 10 years but one thing you can never take away from Beyonce is that she is constantly setting the bar! She is living proof that you do not have to follow the rules record companies give you in order to make it big! I know that Afro beats is music that is not ‘mainstream’ and not everyones cup of tea but Beyonce still made an entire visual album of song that have Afro Beats! Knowing very well that they would not sell as much or reach the ‘wider’ market! But if Beyonce cared about those things , she would have put Lemonade on Spotify!
All we need to know now is…
In 2020 American singer, writer, performer and actress Beyonce, put out a visual album using the music from the Lion King Soundtrack, THE GIFT. But Solange had done it first with the visuals of Losing you, a 2012 Record!
xoxo
B.
