The Real Meaning Of Beyoncé's Mood 4 Eva
Beyoncé's Black Is King is here, and the highly anticipated visual album did not disappoint (as if Beyoncé ever does). The project began streaming on Disney+ on July 31, 2020, along with the release of the deluxe version of its corresponding album, The Lion King: The Gift. Both projects were special treats for Beyoncé fans following her role in the 2019 CGI live-action remake of the 1994 Disney classic, The Lion King. Although the 17-track, 1.25-hour-long film is artistic gold, a few of the songs stand out from the crowd. One of which is "MOOD 4 EVA."
As eloquently put by Vulture's Hunter Harris: "Nothing could compare to 'MOOD 4 EVA,' which raised me from my slumber and had me dancing around my apartment until 1:30 in the morning. 'MOOD 4 EVA,' my friends, is a near-perfect song." But what does the empowering dance track really mean? Let's dig into its lyrics.
MOOD 4 EVA is a meditation on race & African culture
The lyrics of Beyoncé Knowles' "MOOD 4 EVA" are top-tier lyricism. Just take these lines for example: "Why would you try me? Why would you bother? / I am Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter / I am the Nala, sister of Yoruba / Oshun, Queen Sheba, I am the mother / Ankh on my gold chain, ice on my whole chain / I be like soul food, I am a whole mood."
If one thing is to be taken away from the song, which features Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z and rapper Childish Gambino, it's the message in the aforementioned lines. As explained by Refinery29's Courtney E. Smith, Beyoncé "raises consciousness and visibility for issues of race, colorism, intersectional feminism, and African culture that too often gets written out of history."
The song encapsulates the energy of the entire The Lion King: The Gift project on its own. Accordingly, the visuals for the track on Black Is King are truly a sight to behold, exploding with color, patterns, jewels, and a stunning synchronized swimming sequence.
In an interview with ABC, the mother of three explained that The Lion King: The Gift is "a love letter to Africa" and she wanted the soundtrack "to be authentic to what is beautiful about the music in Africa." Of course, the rest of the deluxe album is gorgeous too, and Black Is King is streaming on Disney+ as of July 31, 2020.