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For other songs with the same title, seeAlready § Songs.
"Already"
SongbyBeyoncé,Shatta WaleandMajor Lazer
from the albumThe Lion King: The Gift
ReleasedJuly 19, 2019
Genre
Length3:43
Label
Songwriter(s)
Composer(s)
Producer(s)
Music video
"Already"onYouTube

"Already"(stylized in uppercase)[2]is a song by American singerBeyoncé,Ghanaian singerShatta Waleand American trioMajor Lazerfrom the 2019 albumThe Lion King: The Gift[4]and featured in the 2020 filmBlack Is King.[5]

Release

[edit]

"Already" was written by Beyoncé,Starrah,Nii Armah Mensah, Picard Brothers Ronald Banful and Diplo, with Beyoncé, Diplo and Picard Brothers producing the song respectively.[2][6]

"Already" was originally released as a track in 2019'sThe Lion King: The Gift,a soundtrack album curated by Beyoncé for the2019 photorealistic animated remakeofThe Lion King.It was then featured inBlack Is King,a visual counterpart and television film for the album, released onDisney Pluson July 31, 2020. Its music video was uploaded separately toYouTubeandInstagrama few hours prior to the film's release.[5]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

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Craig Jenkins ofVulturedescribed the song as a "tune about remembering your roots" and suggested that the song pertains to when a "lost and dethroned Simba [from 2019'sThe Lion King] is forced to come to terms with his legacy.[7]Jon Pareles ofThe New York Timesstated that "Already" acted as a "springboard" for "[the 2019Lion King's] plot points "alongside" Keys to the Kingdom "and" Scar ", songs also featured onThe Lion King: The Gift.[8]Matthew Meadow of Your EDM described Beyoncé's vocals on "Already" as "flawlessly smooth",[9]whereas Devki Nehra of Firstpost described the song as "reggae-heavy."[10]

Music video

[edit]

Production

[edit]
TheMursi people's use of horns inspired a hairstyle in the video.

StylistZerina Akersspoke about how she "wanted to reference different cultures, traditions and tribes, but to have the freedom to create fantasy, for people to be able to escape into a new world" through the fashion in the film.[11]One costume in the "Already" video was a 5:31 Jérôme blue Nigerian lace trench dress with an accompanying Nigeriangele,inspired by the fashion of matriarchal women at Nigerian weddings.[12]Another costume, aBurberrycowprint top and skirt, was inspired by theXhosaandZulupeople of South Africa, who use the hide ofNguni cattlein theirshields.[13]Akers also collaborated with American fashion designerNatalia Fedneron a gold chain headpiece covered in gold earrings of various styles and sizes; embedding the earrings into Fedner's patent pending chain textile headdress, Akers wanted to show how gold jewelry connects generations of black women and the African diaspora.[14]

The hairstyles in ''Black Is King'' were inspired by various traditional African hairstyles, with hairstylist Neal Farinah and Beyoncé also striving to offer insight into African culture with every style. One of Beyoncé's hairstyles in the "Already" video was inspired by the horned heads and lip plates of theDinkaandMursipeoples, who wear them as symbols of prestige and honour. Another of the hairstyles usedBantu knotsto pay respect to theZulu people,with anankhsymbol in the center to symbolize life as inancient Egyptianculture.[15]

Choreography in the video was inspired by the adumu jumping dance of theMaasai people.

Members of theAccra-based dance school Dance With Purpose (DWP) Academy were recruited for the video. In 2019, the DWP Academy posted their own choreography for the song after it was first released. This caught the attention of Beyoncé and her team reached out to them to invite them to feature inBlack Is King.[16]Stephen Ojo and Caleb Bonney of dance group AVO (Africa's Very Own) Boyz worked with American choreographerJaQuel Knighton the choreography for the video. Ojo and Bonney showed Knight choreography to the track that they had made a few days prior for a class they were teaching. They then taught Beyoncé the choreography, including several dance styles from throughout Africa, such as the Gbese, Poco and Kpakujemu from Nigeria, the C’est Moi from Ivory Coast, and the network from Ghana.[17]Ojo said that his aim for the choreography "was to make sure the moves we were bringing out were properly represented and danced in the right way. I wanted to make sure Africa was being represented properly and not diluted."[18]Ojo commented on his experience working with Beyoncé, saying: "She was a very good student. Paying homage to the originators, paying respect to our culture—some people might not care. But she was very receptive. She was being respectful the whole time, listening. And every move was clean, sharp, crisp."[19]A scene where black men in purple suits jumping up and down in unison is a reference to the adumuMaasaijumping dance of Kenya and Tanzania, a ceremony in which men in a circle compete for who can jump the highest with a straight posture.[20][21]

David Hammons' 1990 pieceAfrican-American Flagwas added to the set.

Ugo Rondinone's sun sculptures, which symbolize rebirth and renewal, were featured in the "Already" music video in order to reflect the film's motif of the 'circle of life'.[22]African-American Flagwas also included in the video; the piece was created byDavid Hammonsin 1990 to represent the marginalization of African-American artists and is seen as a symbol of black liberation.[23]

Portions of the video were filmed in Ghana, with the Ghanaian chapter of the film being led by director Joshua Kissi. Filming took place in theEastern RegionandGreater Accra Region,with the team wanting to include locations that were underrepresented in depictions of Ghana, such as Shatta Wale's hometown ofNima.

Release

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The full music video for "Already" premiered onYouTubeand was uploaded toInstagramon July 31, 2020, only a few hours prior to the release ofBlack Is Kingon Disney+ in which it featured.[5]It became the first music video from the film to be uploaded as a standalone video, with "Brown Skin Girl"following soon after.[24]

Critical response

[edit]

Callie Ahlgrim ofInsiderranked "Already" as the best music video of 2020, describing the video as a "painstakingly styled and deeply impressive enterprise. You can pause" Already "at literally any moment and it will look like a painting."[25]The video was also listed as one of the best music videos of 2020 by publications such asVulture,[26]Idolator,[27]USA Today,[28]Vogue,[29]Crack Magazine,[30]andSlant.[31]Althea Legaspi ofRolling Stonedescribed the video as "vibrant" and "visually arresting", also noting that the inclusion of "dancers from around the world interwoven throughout the clip" highlightsBlack Is King's purpose as an "inspiring celebration of being Black, from its elegant choreography and fashion to the global locations".[32]Jon Powell ofRevoltpraised the "dancing and choreography", "variety of vibrant locations", and tributes to African cultures and "Black kings around the world".[33]Brea Cubit ofPopSugaragreed, similarly praising the "gorgeous outfits, mesmerising choreography, and nods to African culture" seen in the video.[34]Pitchforknamed "Already" one of the best music videos of 2020, writing: "With the release of her sprawling Disney+ film Black Is King this summer, Beyoncé proved that she remains on the cutting edge of music visuals... Even as a part of a huge cinematic effort," Already "is a world of its own."[35]

Impact

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TheMarine Serremoon print bodysuit that is featured in the "Already" video became "the most popular design of 2020", with the brand seeing a 426% increase in searches in the 48 hours afterBlack Is King's release. Steff Yotka ofVoguewrote that "Black Is Kingwas the digital fashion event of the summer, upstaging official fashion weeks by aligning garments with history, celebrity, purpose, and unparalleled beauty. "[36]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Ceremony Award Result Ref(s).
2020 Soul Train Music Awards Best Dance Performance Nominated [37]
UK Music Video Awards Best R&B/Soul Video – International Nominated [38]
Best Styling in a Video Won
Best Choreography in a Video Nominated
All Africa Music Awards Best Collaboration Nominated [39]
African Entertainment Awards USA Won [40]
Song of the Year Nominated
MVPA Awards Best R&B/Soul Video Nominated [41]
Best Styling in a Video Nominated
Best Production Design Nominated
Best Choreography Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
2021 AICP Post Awards Color Grading: Music Video Nominated [42]
MTV Video Music Awards Best Art Direction Nominated

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[52] Gold 40,000‡
France (SNEP)[53] Gold 100,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[54] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[55] Gold 500,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Various Artists: The Lion King: The Gift".Pitchfork.Retrieved2020-08-23.
  2. ^abcde"The Lion King: The Gift / Beyoncé".Tidal.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  3. ^"Beyoncé – The Lion King: The Gift (2020, File) - Discogs".Discogs.
  4. ^"The Lion King: The Gift / Beyoncé".8o8wave. 31 July 2020.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^abc"Beyoncé Drops Vibrant 'Already' Video Ahead of 'Black Is King' Visual Album".Rolling Stone.31 July 2020.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  6. ^"Beyoncé's 'Already' music video recreated by talented Africans kids".briefly.co.za.2020-08-24.Retrieved2020-08-27.
  7. ^"Beyoncé's Lion King Soundtrack Puts the Focus Back Where It Belongs: Africa".Vulture.31 July 2020.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  8. ^Pareles, Jon (24 July 2019)."Beyoncé Reimagines 'The Lion King' as Global 21st-Century Pop".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  9. ^"Beyoncé Teams Up With Major Lazer For" ALREADY "On Lion King Album".Your EDM. 19 July 2019.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  10. ^"The Lion King: The Gift review — Beyoncé's album celebrates African culture, makes a big political statement".Firstpost. July 23, 2019.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  11. ^""Beyoncé Is A Phenomenal Mentor:" Stylist Zerina Akers On The Visually Explosive 'Black Is King'".British Vogue.4 August 2020.RetrievedAugust 4,2020.
  12. ^Pisano, Louis (August 5, 2020)."Beyoncé's Stylist Breaks Down the Fashion in Black Is King".Harper's BAZAAR.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  13. ^"A Fashion Historian Unpacks the Symbolism of Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' Costumes".Time.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  14. ^Beyoncé's Black Is King film aims to start "a global conversation" says stylist Zerina Akers,Deezeen, retrieved September 21, 2020
  15. ^"How Beyoncé's Long-Time Hairstylist Created The Head-Turning Hair Of 'Black Is King'".British Vogue.6 August 2020.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  16. ^Blair, Olivia (2020-08-04)."Beyoncé's Producer Shares Her Experience Of Working On 'Black Is King'".ELLE.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  17. ^"A.V.O Boyz: The journey before 'Black is King'".amsterdamnews.3 September 2020.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  18. ^"Working with Beyonce, experience of a lifetime –Stephen Ojo".Punch Newspapers.27 September 2020.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  19. ^"Meet Papi Ojo, the Breakout Star of Beyoncé's Black Is King".Time.Retrieved2020-09-29.
  20. ^"Unpacking the symbolism in Beyoncé's Black is King".gal-dem.2020-08-04.Retrieved2020-09-23.
  21. ^Isama, Antoinette (2 August 2020)."We Spotted These Hidden Meanings In" Black Is King "".Teen Vogue.Retrieved2020-09-14.
  22. ^Philippe, Shakir (17 August 2020)."Beyoncé Secretly Filmed Scenes From Disney+'s" Black Is King "At East Hampton's Guild Hall".Hamptons.
  23. ^Jackson, Angelique; Yap, Audrey Cleo (August 4, 2020)."A Quick Cultural Guide to Beyoncé's 'Black Is King'".Variety.RetrievedAugust 7,2020.
  24. ^"Beyoncé's 'Brown Skin Girl' Video Is Now Available Outside of 'Black Is King': Watch".Billboard.2020-08-24.Retrieved2020-08-26.
  25. ^Ahlgrim, Callie."The 45 best music videos of 2020, ranked".Insider.Retrieved2021-01-02.
  26. ^Gracie, Bianca (2020-12-15)."The Best Music Videos of 2020".Vulture.Retrieved2020-12-15.
  27. ^"The 25 Best Music Videos Of 2020".idolator.17 December 2020.
  28. ^Dinges, Gary."Best music videos of 2020: Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Harry Styles make the list".USA TODAY.
  29. ^Allaire, Christian (21 December 2020)."This Year, Music Videos Had a High-Fashion Revival".Vogue.
  30. ^"The Top 10 Music Videos of 2020".Crack Magazine.
  31. ^"The 20 Best Music Videos of 2020".Slant Magazine.21 December 2020.
  32. ^Legaspi, Althea (2020-07-31)."Beyoncé Drops Vibrant 'Already' Video Ahead of 'Black Is King' Visual Album".Rolling Stone.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  33. ^Powell, Jon (2020-07-31)."Beyoncé reveals new visual for" Already "".REVOLT.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  34. ^Cubit, Brea (2020-07-31)."Beyoncé's Music Video For" Already "Is Now the Inspiration Behind My Mood Board".POPSUGAR Entertainment UK.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  35. ^Conteh, Mankaprr (2020-12-17)."The 20 Best Music Videos of 2020".Pitchfork.Retrieved2020-12-17.
  36. ^Yotka, Steff (4 August 2020)."With a Beyoncé Boost, Marine Serre's Moon Print Becomes the Most Popular Design of 2020".Vogue.RetrievedAugust 5,2020.
  37. ^"H.E.R. & Chris Brown Lead 2020 Soul Train Awards Nominations: Here's the Complete List".Billboard.Retrieved2020-11-11.
  38. ^"Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Beyoncé lead UK Music Video Awards nominations".officialcharts.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  39. ^"AFRIMMA 2020 Nominees".afrimma.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  40. ^"AFRICAN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, USA 2020 WINNERS"(PDF).Retrieved2020-12-21.
  41. ^"2020 MVPA Awards nominations announced | News | Promonews".Promonewstv.Retrieved2020-12-21.
  42. ^"2021 AICP Post Shortlist".2021 AICP Post Shortlist.Retrieved2021-06-27.
  43. ^"Ultratip Bubbling Under Week 38, 2020".Ultratop. August 8, 2020.RetrievedMarch 4,2023.
  44. ^"Beyoncé, Shatta Wale & Major Lazer – Already "(in French).Ultratip.Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  45. ^"Beyoncé - Already".ChartsinFrance. July 22, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 5,2023.
  46. ^"Hot Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart".Recorded Music NZ.August 10, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  47. ^"BEYONCE/SHATTA WALE/MAJOR | Official Singles Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.August 7, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 1,2023.
  48. ^"Beyoncé: Chart History: Digital Song Sales".Billboard.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– viaBillboard.
  49. ^"Beyoncé: Chart History: Hot R&B Songs".Billboard.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– viaBillboard.
  50. ^"Beyoncé: Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales".Billboard.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– viaBillboard.
  51. ^"Beyoncé: Chart History: World Digital Song Sales Chart".Billboard.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022– viaBillboard.
  52. ^"Canadian single certifications – Beyoncé – Already".Music Canada.RetrievedAugust 10,2022.
  53. ^"French single certifications – Beyoncé – Already"(in French).Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.RetrievedOctober 21,2022.
  54. ^"British single certifications – Beyonce/Shatta Wale/Major – Already".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedMarch 22,2024.
  55. ^"American single certifications – Beyonce – Already".Recording Industry Association of America.RetrievedAugust 9,2022.
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