Honestly, the pressure on the beauty and the beast music 2017 team was absolutely massive. You can't just mess with a 1991 masterpiece. People treat the original Howard Ashman and Alan Menken score like a holy relic, and for good reason. When Disney announced Bill Condon would direct a live-action version, the first question everyone had wasn't about the CGI or Emma Watson’s yellow dress. It was about the songs. Could you really recreate that "Tale as Old as Time" magic without it feeling like a cheap karaoke session?
It worked. Mostly.
Alan Menken returned to the fold, which was basically the only way this was ever going to succeed. But he was missing his late partner, Howard Ashman. That’s where things get interesting. The 2017 soundtrack isn't just a carbon copy of the animated film. It’s this weird, beautiful hybrid of nostalgia and new-age Broadway ambition. You’ve got the classics, sure, but you also have three brand-new songs that tried to fill in the gaps of the Beast’s backstory and Belle’s childhood.
The Challenge of Living Up to the 1991 Legend
It’s hard to overstate how much the 1991 film changed Disney. It was the first animated movie to get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. The music didn't just support the story; it was the story. So, when the beauty and the beast music 2017 project started, Menken had to figure out how to respect those arrangements while making them feel "real" enough for a live-action setting. Live-action needs a different kind of scale. You can't just have a cartoon teapot singing; you need a Victorian-style porcelain object voiced by Emma Thompson to deliver a performance that feels grounded in a physical space.
The vocal casting was the biggest gamble. Emma Watson isn't a Broadway belter. She’s not Paige O'Hara. Her voice is thinner, more delicate, and let’s be real—it was definitely touched up with some pitch correction in the studio. Critics noticed. Fans noticed. But in the context of the film, her "Belle" felt more like a quiet, bookish girl hummimg to herself than a stage performer. It changed the vibe of the opening number significantly. Instead of a grand theatrical entrance, it felt more like a walk through a real, dirty, busy French village.
Then you have Dan Stevens. Most people knew him from Downton Abbey, not for his pipes. But his rendition of "Evermore" ended up being the standout moment of the entire 2017 soundtrack. It gave the Beast a soul that the original movie arguably kept a bit more hidden.
The New Additions: Do They Actually Work?
We got three new songs in this version: "How Does a Moment Last Forever," "Days in the Sun," and "Evermore."
"Evermore" is the heavy hitter. It’s a power ballad in the vein of "If I Can't Love Her" from the Broadway stage adaptation (which, sadly, didn't make it into the movie). Menken and lyricist Tim Rice—who previously worked together on Aladdin and The Lion King—crafted something that feels genuinely operatic. It happens right after the Beast lets Belle go. He climbs up the castle turret, watching her ride away, and just lets loose. It’s high drama. It’s loud. It’s exactly what the movie needed to justify its longer runtime.
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"Days in the Sun" is a bit more complicated. It’s a melancholic piece where the enchanted objects and the Beast remember their lives as humans. Interestingly, there was a bit of a mix-up during production. Early versions of the song featured a melody that was a bit too similar to "You Should Be Dancing," or so the legend goes, but the final version is a soft, lullaby-like track. It adds a layer of tragedy. These aren't just funny talking clocks; they’re people who are slowly losing their humanity.
"How Does a Moment Last Forever" acts as a thematic anchor. You hear it in bits and pieces—Maurice singing it over a music box, Belle singing it in the library. It’s about the desire to freeze time. It’s sweet, but it really shines during the end credits when Celine Dion performs it. Having Celine back was a masterstroke of marketing and sentimentality. She was the one who helped put the original on the map with Peabo Bryson, so her presence here felt like a passing of the torch.
Technical Nuances and the Orchestration
The 2017 score is dense. If you listen to the instrumental tracks, you'll notice a much larger orchestra than what was used in the nineties.
The percussion is heavier. The strings are more sweeping. In "Be Our Guest," the arrangement is chaotic in the best way possible. It’s a literal sensory overload. Ewan McGregor’s Lumière is doing a Maurice Chevalier impression that somehow stays on the right side of charming, and the music swells to match the ridiculousness of a digital kitchen performing a Broadway revue.
However, some purists argue that the beauty and the beast music 2017 lacks the "breath" of the original. Animation allows for perfect synchronization between movement and music—Mickey Mousing, they call it. In live action, if the music is too synchronized with the actors, it can feel "fake." The 2017 version walks a fine line. It leans heavily into the theatricality, almost demanding that the audience accept it as a filmed stage play rather than a gritty realistic reboot.
Why "Evermore" Changed Everything for the Beast
Before 2017, the Beast didn't really have a "big" song in the cinematic world. He was mostly a reactionary character. By giving him "Evermore," the filmmakers shifted the emotional weight of the story.
The lyrics are actually pretty sophisticated:
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"I let her steal into my melancholy heart... It's more than I can bear."
That’s not typical "Disney for kids" writing. It’s a deep dive into the psyche of someone who has accepted their own damnation. Dan Stevens’ vocal performance—baritone, rugged, slightly desperate—anchors the second act. It’s the reason many people prefer the 2017 version of the character. He’s less of a temper-tantrum-throwing monster and more of a tragic figure.
The Gaston Factor: Josh Gad and Luke Evans
We have to talk about "Gaston."
In the original, it’s a boisterous, beer-swilling anthem. In the 2017 film, it’s a full-on showstopper. Luke Evans (Gaston) and Josh Gad (LeFou) both come from musical theater backgrounds, and it shows. Their timing is perfect. They added new lyrics that Howard Ashman had originally written for the 1991 version but were cut for being too "suggestive" or long.
The line about "I'm especially good at expectorating" remained, but the dance break in the tavern was expanded. It’s one of the few moments in the 2017 film where the music feels like it’s having pure, unadulterated fun without trying to be "epic" or "meaningful." It’s just a great song about a terrible guy.
The Soundtrack’s Impact on the Charts
When the album dropped, it didn't just sit in the bargain bin. It hit number 3 on the Billboard 200. People were hungry for this stuff.
The soundtrack featured:
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- The full film cast recordings.
- Ariana Grande and John Legend’s cover of the title track.
- Celine Dion’s "How Does a Moment Last Forever."
- Josh Groban’s version of "Evermore."
The Ariana/John Legend cover was polarizing. Some loved the modern R&B production; others missed the sweeping orchestral grandeur of the original pop version. It’s definitely "of its time" in a way that the rest of the score isn't. But hey, it got the song back on the radio.
Real-World Takeaways for Your Playlist
If you’re revisiting the beauty and the beast music 2017 today, don't just stick to the main hits.
- Check out the Demo tracks. Hearing Alan Menken sing "How Does a Moment Last Forever" is a masterclass in songwriting. It shows the raw bones of the melody before the Disney polish was applied.
- Compare "Days in the Sun" to "Human Again." "Human Again" was the song added back into the 1991 film for the Special Edition. It’s upbeat and hopeful. "Days in the Sun" is the 2017 replacement, and it’s way more depressing. It’s interesting to see how the tone of Disney movies shifted toward "serious drama" in that decade.
- Listen for the motifs. Menken is a genius at Leitmotifs—recurring musical themes. The "Rose" theme pops up in the orchestration constantly, often when you least expect it.
The 2017 soundtrack isn't a replacement for the original. It’s an expansion pack. It’s what happens when a composer gets to revisit his greatest work with 25 years of extra experience and a much bigger budget. Whether you love the "processed" vocals of the leads or not, the sheer musicality of the project is undeniable. It kept the spirit of Howard Ashman alive while carving out a new space for a new generation of fans.
To truly appreciate the depth of the 2017 score, listen to the "Deluxe Edition" which includes the score-only tracks. Pay close attention to the track "The West Wing." The way Menken uses dissonant strings to create a sense of dread, while still weaving in the "Belle" melody, shows the complexity of the work. It’s not just "children’s music." It’s a sophisticated orchestral score that happens to have some very famous songs attached to it.
If you’re looking to analyze the vocal performances, try listening to the "Overture." It’s a six-minute journey through the film’s themes that sets the stage perfectly. It’s a throwback to the golden age of Hollywood musicals, something we don't see nearly enough of anymore.
Next Steps for Music Fans:
To get the most out of this soundtrack, start by listening to the Josh Groban version of "Evermore" to hear how the song sounds when performed by a world-class vocalist. Then, watch the "Gaston" sequence in the film specifically to see the choreography—it was filmed with the actors actually singing on set to capture the physical exertion of the dance. Finally, compare the 1991 and 2017 versions of "The Mob Song" to see how the orchestration changed from a theatrical march to a cinematic, percussive battle cry.