Song Review - "Beauty and The Beast" by Jordin Sparks

Surprisingly, I chose this version and not the one by Celine Dion.  This song I heard on a commerical and wondered who was the singer.  So, I went on a YouTube search and came up with Jordin Sparks.  This song was remade for the latest release of the 1991 timeless classic "Beauty of the Beast".  The song was sung in the movie by Angela Lansbury and then a radio edit was released as a duet between upcoming Canadian singer Celine Dion and R&B singer Peabo Bryson.  The song was so good that it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1992.

Almost two decades later, the song has been remade and covered by various artists throughout the years such as movie songstress Julie Andrews, pop/r&b group Jump5, and J-Pop group "Bright".  The most recent cover was done by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, and a music video was created specifically for The Diamond Edition of "Beauty and The Beast".



The song has a R&B touch to it, which taps into today's Top 40 market.  This cover of "Beauty and the Beast" is almost made for kids' parties and to make parents who grew in the Late 80s and Early 90s remember when they heard this song for the first time in theaters.  For the lack of a better sense, it's dance-able tune, where I can mix this with Selena Gomez or even worse Miley Cryus.  Please don't get me wrong, Jordin Sparks is a very talented singer and probably one of the best singers to come out of American Idol.  She is probably one of the few that can actually last in the music industry that has ties to the doomed show.  Jordin Sparks sang this song the way that Jordin Sparks can.  She made it her own song and definitely tried to keep it separate from the Dion/Bryson duet.

However, this cover is missing something that the Celine Dion/Peabo Bryson version had.  I couldn't figure it out until I listened to both versions back-to-back.  The duet of Dion/Bryson had chemistry, musical showmanship, and most importantly CHARM.  The Jordin Sparks version was lacking charm and the appeal that made the song a Disney Classic.  The song appeals to today's tween generation, but in the end, this song will be remembered by the 9-14 demographic.  With the Dion/Bryson version will live on forever and every artist that tries to match the charm and musicality of this version will fail.