Burna Boy is one of the most influential and impactful African artists, releasing songs like “Ye” and “On the Low,” encouraging unity among listeners. This songwriter also collaborated with Beyoncé for her album The Lion King: The Gift and its corresponding visual album.
Here’s what we know about Burna Boy and what makes “JA ARA E” so special.
Beyoncé released her album ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ inspired by Disney’s photo-real adaptation of ‘The Lion King’
Beyoncé took her involvement with Disney’s The Lion King one step further. In addition to voicing adult Nala and performing the iconic song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” this artist released her own album titled The Lion King: The Gift.
This release includes features from artists like Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and Pharrell Williams. It also highlights African music, art, and culture, intertwining those aspects with the story of Disney’s photo-real adaptation of The Lion King.
Months later, Beyoncé released a visual album featuring the music of The Lion King: The Gift. That is Black is King, available exclusively for subscribers of Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+.
Burna Boy appeared on the ‘Black is King’ song ‘JA ARA E’
Known for releasing music as a solo artist, Burna Boy was one of the performers featured on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift. He appeared on the song “JA ARA E,” earning millions of plays on Spotify in the process.
Besides Beyoncé, Burna Boy was the only other artist with a solo song on Black is King. Although he doesn’t seek validation from American artists, the musician acknowledged the milestone of working with Beyoncé and Disney.
“Now, there’s a bunch of people who didn’t even know me before that are now my fans,” Burna Boy said during an interview with Channel 4 News. According to Genius, “Ja Ara E” is a slang phrase spoken predominately in the African countries of Nigeria and Benin, translating to “Wise Up.”
As a phrase meant to discourage giving in to peer pressure, this fits perfectly with Simba’s story in The Lion King. At this point in the movie, Simba is encouraging his friend Nala to explore the forbidden elephant graveyard.
Burna Boy also releases original music encouraging unity among fans
As one of Africa’s most famous artists, Burna Boy rose to prominence with the 2012 release titled “Like to Party.” Since then, songs like “On the Low” and “Ye” grew in popularity, earning the artist global recognition.
According to African News, this musician became the first African artist with 100 million streams from three albums. Additionally, Burna Boy performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, later appearing at New York’s Governor’s Ball Music Festival.
The Lion King: The Gift is now available for listening on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and most music streaming platforms. The Emmy Award-winning visual album Black is King is available on Disney’s subscription service, Disney+.
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