Disney Details The Lion King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Disney has announced the release of the original motion picture soundtrack of The Lion King, set to arrive on July 11.

The live-action remake re-recruited the team that worked on the 1994 animated version to produce new recordings of the original songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice. Composer Hans Zimmer was welcomed back to revisit his Academy Award-winning score, which he approached with the goal of rehearsing and recording the music like a live concert performance.

The remake also recruited Pharrell to produce five songs because—well, why not.

The soundtrack features a handful of the musical talents voicing characters in the film, including Beyonce, Donald Glover, and the conjoined beast of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen. The soundtrack will also feature a new song titled “Never Too Late,” performed by John and an African choir.

Music from the 1994 film won Academy Awards for original song and original score, as well as four GRAMMY awards and two Golden Globes, and was certified Diamond by the RIAA with 10 million units sold. Fingers crossed The Lion King’s new soundtrack will be able to live up to that of its predecessor.

“Just hearing that music strikes you deeply,” director Jon Favreau said in a statement. “Even if you don’t know the film or stage show, there is a spiritual strength in it. But if you know the film, and if you grew up with this music—now it can suddenly and immediately evoke the story itself, as well as all the connected memories and emotions that you have from your own past experience with The Lion King, or from the time of your life that you were in, or your childhood, or the life events it’s connected to.”

A recent TV spot gave us our first preview of the new film’s songs, featuring Beyonce and Glover performing a snippet of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” You can revisit that here.

The Lion King’s digital soundtrack will be made available at 11 a.m. ET on July 11, and its physical release will hit shelves on July 19, the same day the film opens in U.S. theaters. You can preorder the physical album here.

Check out the soundtrack’s artwork and tracklist below, and revisit everything we know about the new live-action adaptation so far here.

The Lion King Tracklist:
01. “Circle of Life”/“Nants’ Ingonyama” – Performed by Lindiwe Mkhize; African vocals performed by Lebo M; written and composed by Elton John and Tim Rice; “Nants’ Ingonyama” written by Lebohang Morake and Hans Zimmer; produced by Hans Zimmer; vocals produced by Stephen Lipson
02. “Life’s Not Fair” – Hans Zimmer
03. “Rafiki’s Fireflies” – Hans Zimmer
04. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – Performed by JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph and John Oliver; written by Elton John and Tim Rice; produced by Pharrell Williams; co-produced by Stephen Lipson
05. “Elephant Graveyard” – Hans Zimmer
06. “Be Prepared” (2019 Version) – Performed by Chiwetel Ejiofor; written by Elton John and Tim Rice; produced by Hans Zimmer and David Fleming
07. “Stampede” – Hans Zimmer
08. “Scar Takes the Throne” – Hans Zimmer
09. “Hakuna Matata” – Performed by Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, JD McCrary and Donald Glover; written by Elton John and Tim Rice; produced by Pharrell Williams; co-produced by Stephen Lipson
10. “Simba is Alive!” – Hans Zimmer
11. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – Performed by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen; written by Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George David Weiss and Solomon Linda; produced by Pharrell Williams
12. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” – Performed by Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen; written by Elton John and Tim Rice; produced by Pharrell Williams; co-produced by Stephen Lipson
13. “Reflections of Mufasa” – Hans Zimmer
14. TBA
15. “Battle for Pride Rock” – Hans Zimmer
16. “Remember” – Hans Zimmer
17. “Never Too Late” – Performed by Elton John; African vocal and choir arrangements created and produced by Lebo M; written by Elton John and Tim Rice; produced by Greg Kurstin; additional production by Elton John and Matt Still
18. “He Lives in You” – Performed by Lebo M; written by Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin and Lebohang Morake; produced by Lebo M and Mark Mancina
19. “Mbube” – Performed by Lebo M; African vocal and choir arrangements created and produced by Lebo M; written by Solomon Linda; produced by Pharrell Williams

The Lion King Artwork: