4. The Lion King: The Gift by Beyoncé

It’s no surprise that Beyoncé, along with her voice acting in the new The Lion King film, would create her own project based on the movie, and more specifically, celebrate Africa. This album has endless collaborations, highlighting artists from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa. Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter‘s also a collaborator, featured in the song “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” which uplifts black women. “MOOD 4 EVA” is an upbeat and fun track that features JAY-Z, Childish Gambino and samples Malian Wassoulou artist Oumou Sangare‘s “Diaraby Nene.” Instead of just letting the story of The Lion King be magnified this summer, Beyoncé delivered an album that honors the talent and beauty of the people of Africa.