When Disney announced they were doing a live-action remake of the 1991 masterpiece, people lost their minds. Not necessarily in a good way, either. How do you touch a perfect score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman? You basically don't. But Bill Condon’s 2017 reimagining did something risky by adding three brand-new beauty and the beast live action songs to the rotation.
It was a gamble. Honestly, it could have been a disaster.
The original soundtrack is DNA-level stuff for Millennials and Gen X. You can't just slide a new power ballad into the mix and expect people not to notice the join. Yet, somehow, "Evermore" became a modern standard. It’s weird how that happens. One minute we're all skeptical, and the next, we're humming a tune that didn't exist when we were kids.
The Impossible Task of Following Howard Ashman
The 2017 film had a massive shadow looming over it. Howard Ashman, the lyrical genius behind the original, passed away before the 1991 film even hit theaters. He was the soul of the "Disney Renaissance." To fill those shoes, Alan Menken teamed up with Tim Rice. Rice is a legend in his own right—think The Lion King and Evita—but his style is different. It’s more theatrical, maybe a bit more verbose.
The beauty and the beast live action songs aren't just covers. If they were, the movie would have felt like a high-budget karaoke session. Instead, the filmmakers used the new music to plug "plot holes" that fans had been poking at for twenty-five years. Like, why did the Prince turn into such a jerk in the first place? Why does Belle’s dad seem so traumatized by a single rose?
"How Does A Moment Last Forever" and the Paris Backstory
This song is basically the emotional glue of the new version. We hear it in snatches. Maurice sings it while working on his music boxes. Later, Belle sings it when she discovers the truth about her mother’s death in a plague-ridden Paris.
It’s heavy stuff for a "kids' movie."
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Celine Dion, who famously sang the original title track with Peabo Bryson, came back to record the end-credits version of this one. It’s a full-circle moment. The song addresses the fleeting nature of happiness. It’s shorter than the others but carries a lot of the film's thematic weight regarding memory and loss.
The Beast Finally Gets a Voice
In the 1991 animated version, the Beast doesn't really have a solo. He joins in on "Something There," sure. But he never gets that "I Want" song moment that defines every Disney protagonist.
That changed with "Evermore."
Dan Stevens, hidden under layers of CGI and a voice modulator that made him sound like he was gargling gravel, absolutely crushed it. The song happens right after he lets Belle go. He’s standing on the castle turret, watching her ride away to save her father. It’s a massive, operatic moment.
Musically, it’s fascinating because it doesn't sound like the 90s. It sounds like something from the 18th century, or at least a Broadway stage. The lyrics—"I let her steal into my melancholy heart"—are way more sophisticated than your average pop-inflected Disney tune. It gives the Beast an interior life he lacked in the cartoon. In the original, he was mostly a temperamental teenager in a buffalo body. Here, he's a man who has finally learned what love is, only to realize he has to give it up.
"Days in the Sun" and the Object Problem
There was a bit of a controversy with "Days in the Sun." It’s the third new addition to the beauty and the beast live action songs lineup. Originally, some critics pointed out that it sounded a little too similar to "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella.
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It serves a specific purpose, though. It replaces the "Human Again" sequence that was cut from the original movie (but later added to the Special Edition and the Broadway show).
"Human Again" was upbeat, waltzy, and frankly, a bit jarring given the stakes. "Days in the Sun" is different. It’s a lullaby. It’s sung by the objects—Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Plumette—as they remember their lives before the curse. It grounds the stakes. They aren't just dancing plates; they are people who haven't felt the sun on their skin in a decade.
Audra McDonald and Emma Thompson bring a level of vocal prestige here that you rarely see in a remake. McDonald, especially, is a Broadway powerhouse. Hearing her voice used for a wardrobe (Garderobe) is almost a waste of talent, but when she hits those notes in the ensemble sections, you get why she was cast.
What about the classics?
You can't talk about the beauty and the beast live action songs without mentioning the updates to the pillars.
- "Belle": The opening number is almost a frame-for-frame remake, but it feels busier. Emma Watson’s Belle is more of an inventor than a dreamer. The town feels dirtier, more "real."
- "Gaston": Luke Evans and Josh Gad carried this movie on their backs. Seriously. Their chemistry is the best part of the film. They added back some of Howard Ashman’s original, slightly "too-racy-for-1991" lyrics. It makes the song feel punchier and more like a pub crawl gone wrong.
- "Be Our Guest": This was the biggest challenge. In animation, you can have dancing forks do anything. In live-action (or CGI-heavy realism), it can look creepy. Ewan McGregor’s "French" accent is... a choice... but the spectacle is undeniable. It’s a psychedelic fever dream that somehow works.
- "Beauty and the Beast": Emma Thompson had the impossible task of following Angela Lansbury. She didn't try to mimic her. She sang it like a motherly figure, soft and steady. It’s less of a performance and more of a storytelling moment.
Why People Still Debate the Vocals
Let’s be real. Emma Watson is not a Broadway singer.
The internet spent months dissecting the "autotune" on her tracks. It’s a valid critique. When you put a pop-style vocal like Watson’s next to a titan like Audra McDonald, the contrast is sharp.
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But there’s an argument to be made that Belle shouldn't sound like a professional opera singer. She’s a village girl who likes books. Watson’s voice has a fragile, thin quality that fits this specific version of the character—a Belle who is a bit more guarded and intellectual. Whether you love it or hate it, it changed the "vibe" of the beauty and the beast live action songs from a pure musical to a fantasy film that happens to have singing.
The Cultural Impact of the 2017 Score
It’s easy to dismiss remakes as cash grabs. Many are. But the music in this film stayed on the Billboard charts for a surprising amount of time. "Evermore" is now a staple for male musical theater auditions. That doesn't happen unless a song has actual meat on its bones.
The soundtrack managed to bridge the gap between nostalgia and something new. It gave us a Maurice who wasn't just a "crazy old tool," but a grieving widower. It gave us a Beast who was actually literate and witty. All of that was funneled through the music.
If you're revisiting the beauty and the beast live action songs, listen for the orchestration. Menken used a massive orchestra for this, and you can hear the "size" of the sound. It’s much larger than the synthesized elements often found in the 1991 original’s backing tracks.
Making the Most of the Music
If you're a fan or a student of musical theater, there's a lot to dig into here. You should actually compare the demo versions (often found on the Deluxe Edition soundtracks) to the final film versions.
Next Steps for the Super-Fan:
- Listen to the "Beast" Demo: There are recordings of Alan Menken singing "Evermore" before it was finalized. It gives you a glimpse into the songwriting process and how the melody evolved.
- Watch the "Gaston" Deleted Scenes: There are extended versions of the tavern sequence that show off more of the choreography and the "lost" Ashman lyrics.
- Compare the "Overture": The live-action film starts with a massive overture that the original didn't have. It’s a great way to hear how all the new and old themes interweave.
- Check out the Broadway Cast Recording: If you want to see the middle ground between the 1991 and 2017 versions, the 1994 Broadway soundtrack features songs like "Home" and "If I Can't Love Her" which served as the spiritual ancestors to the new 2017 tracks.
The music of Beauty and the Beast is arguably the strongest asset the franchise has. While the 2017 film has its flaws, the additions to the songbook have proven to be more than just filler—they've become a permanent part of the story's legacy.