It’s a tale as old as time: When you want to promote the love ballad from your upcoming film, you bring in two hot artists for an epic duet. And so, Disney is once again calling on some big names for its live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” recruiting Ariana Grande and John Legend for the gig this time around.
While we heard snippets of Grande and Legend singing the film’s famous titular theme song in the last full-length trailer for the flick, there’s now a full version of the audio online, and the track does not disappoint. Sure, it’s not exactly as epic as the original duet, sung by Celine Dion (who’s also contributing a new song to the remake’s soundtrack) and Peabo Bryson for the 1991 animated classic; but then again, what else could possibly compete?
This version is a serviceable cover, however, and Grande and Legend’s voices complement each other quite nicely. The backing orchestration sounds a bit too much like elevator music for our taste (why is it so tinny?), but that’s not the singers’ fault.
Of course, the real test of the remake’s musical mettle will come when Emma Thompson — who’s playing Mrs. Potts this time around — sings the song over the big dance sequence between Belle (Emma Watson) and the Beast (Dan Stevens) in the flick. Original Mrs. Potts Angela Lansbury’s take on the tune is a classic (and she recently proved she can still perform it beautifully), so it will certainly be hard to top. We’re looking forward to seeing the new cast try, though. “Beauty and the Beast” is due in theaters on March 17. (moviefone.com)
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