Beyoncé Talks 'Lion King' and New Song 'Spirit' in Rare Interview

Beyoncé opened up about the emotional attachment she has with Disney’s “Lion King” and revealed the strong message behind “Spirit,” a song created specifically for the film’s 2019 adaptation set to premiere worldwide on July 19.

Beyoncé continues to give fans reasons to anticipate the release of director Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King” remake. The pop icon, who rarely gives interviews, sat with other cast and crew members for an ABC interview special, “The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”

“I am still a bit in shock that I'm a part of this film because I grew up loving The Lion King,” the singer said, as reported by Daily Mail.

She continued:

“It's so much nostalgia for me and it's the first Disney movie that brought me to tears.”

PLOT TWISTS TO EXPECT

Beyoncé plays Nala, a childhood friend and later love interest to the lead character Simba (played by Donald Glover) and the singer revealed that 2019’s “Lion King” will see female characters take on more significant roles.

“It was important to the director that Nala and that the females in this film were heroes,” she teased. “And he put Nala right alongside Simba in the big fight.”

'WE'RE THE FIGHTERS'

Beyoncé, 37, added that she’s in full support of the modifications, which comes as no surprise since she’s continuously used her music to advance female causes.

“I thought that was really interesting and really real, because women, you know, we're the fighters. Being a mother, my family is my biggest priority. There aren't many films that the parents can go and feel the way I feel about Lion King, and pass that legacy onto their kids.”

'LOVE LETTER TO AFRICA'

The 23-time Grammy winner also spoke about “The Lion King: The Gift,” an Africa-inspired soundtrack album she produced and curated for the film.

The project, which Queen Bey describes as a “love letter to Africa,” is set to be released on July 19 as well, but an original track she released already has fans cheering.

MAKING WAVES WITH 'SPIRIT'

In less than a day of putting up the music video for “Spirit” on YouTube, there are already over 10 million views with thousands of glowing remarks in the comment section.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Unveiling the message behind “Spirit’s” surreal video, Beyoncé said:

“The concept of the video is to show how God is the painter and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction. It's the beauty of color, the beauty of learning, the beauty of tradition.”

With a predominantly African-American cast and a soundtrack featuring several African artists, it looks like 2019’s “Lion King” will be serving a healthy dose of culture and we’re here for it.