Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Essentials to Shop Ahead of the Release of Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King

The Lion King isn't the first time Blue Ivy Carter has performed as a professional voice actor. Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry is a children's book about a Black father who raises his daughter to appreciate her hair. Just as little Zuri learns to love her hair, even when it "has a life of its own," her dad puts in the work to style it perfectly.

Blue Ivy narrated the audiobook version of Hair Love, while an adaptation of the book won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2020.

2024's Cowboy Carter is the second installment in a long-planned trilogy of records by Beyoncé following 2022's Renaissance. Mixing a plethora of genres, including country, hip hop, the blues, funk, and soul, Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé's response to being unceremoniously excluded from country music throughout her career.

Even more impressive is the way in which Beyoncé highlights country music's penchant for stealing from Black musicians, but never celebrating Black artists in the way they deserve. Undoubtedly a career highlight from the musical chameleon, who became the first Black woman to top Billboard's Country albums chart.

If you grew up in the '90s, it's likely you've watched Disney animations like 1994's The Lion King a zillion times. The now-classic musical features songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, along with voice performances by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, and James Earl Jones.

Alongside 1989's The Little Mermaid, 1991's Beauty and the Beast, and 1992's Aladdin, The Lion King defined an era of Disney animated films, all of which have since been turned into live-action movies for a new generation.

The Little People Big Dreams book series highlights important people in history, with Beyoncé taking center stage in this wonderful installment. The beautifully drawn volume explores Beyoncé's path to success, from her early days in a fledgling girl group to going solo and becoming a megastar in her own right.

The book also notes Beyoncé's wide-ranging successes, thanks to her philanthropy and the businesses she's created outside of her music career. The perfect children's book, but also a sweet read for any fan of the "Crazy in Love" musician.

Homecoming: The Live Album was released in April 2019 and combines Beyoncé's two jaw-dropping and history-making performances at Coachella in April 2018. The singer also released an accompanying documentary on Netflix, documenting the tireless preparation that went into her Coachella performance, which saw her make history as the first Black woman to headline the festival.

Beyoncé's eldest daughter makes a special appearance on the album, performing on the track "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing (Blue's version with Blue Ivy Carter)."

To coincide with the release of the 2019 movie The Lion King, Beyoncé curated a special album called The Lion King: The Gift. The soundtrack combines music from the movie, along with songs inspired by the film and tracks used in Beyoncé's 2020 musical film Black Is King.

Perhaps most importantly, Blue Ivy features on the track "Brown Skin Girl" alongside her mom, SAINt JHN, and Wizkid. The song's music video even earned Blue Ivy her first Grammy win, an impressive feat considering she was only 9 years old at the time, making this essential listening for fans.

2019's photorealistic computer-generated remake of Disney's The Lion King featured an all-star cast including Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and Seth Rogen. The reimagining of one of Disney's most beloved films was a huge success, reportedly making more than $1.6 billion at the global box office.

Beyoncé portrayed Nala, the best friend and future love interest of the lead character Simba. In addition to giving us a flawless voice performance in the iconic role, the singer also gave an unforgettable rendition of everyone's favorite ballad, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" in the film.

Beyoncé's fifth solo album was also her first visual album, marking an important milestone in her career. The self-titled record features the singles "XO," "Pretty Hurts," and "Drunk in Love." The album also features an appearance by Beyoncé's eldest daughter, who appears on the track "Blue," with Blue Ivy's inclusion on her parents' projects becoming all but a given.

The album broke a multitude of records when it was released in 2013, and made it to number one in a whopping 104 countries. If anyone had previously been sleeping on the "Halo" singer, Beyoncé quickly changed everything.

In 2012, Jay-Z released a single titled "Glory," where he rapped about his newborn daughter Blue Ivy, while also sampling her voice on the track.

On his 2017 album 4:44, Blue Ivy made a more prominent appearance, this time playing an important part on the track "Blue's Freestyle / We Family (featuring Blue Ivy Carter)." Having appeared on albums released by both Beyoncé and Jay-Z, it's undeniable that Blue Ivy is one accomplished kid with a bright future ahead of her.

In 2013, Beyoncé released Life Is But a Dream, a surprisingly candid documentary giving fans access to her personal life. The movie documents Beyoncé's pregnancy and the birth of Blue Ivy, as well as sharing details about the devastating baby loss she experienced beforehand.

Husband Jay-Z plays an important role in the movie, which also explores Beyoncé's decision to fire her father, Mathew Knowles, as her manager. Featuring footage captured throughout most of Beyoncé's career, Life Is But a Dream is a must-see for all singer fans.