Ariana Grande + John Legend = Disney's New Celebrity Duet

Things I was not happy to learn about today:

Ariana Grande and John Legend are, most likely, doing the "celebrity duet version" of "Beauty and the Beast" for the new live-action film.

PC: Seventeen

Grrrr.

Okay. Here's the thing. Celebrity versions of iconic Disney songs are nothing new. While I think Demi Lovato's version of "Let It Go" was probably one of the only versions where the Disney-version actually did better (which...Idina Menzel. Yes.), there's usually a celebrity-version that soars to the top of the charts and gets a lot of radio airplay. Christina Aguilera did a version of "Reflection" for the Mulan soundtrack, (there was also a 98 Degrees song that played at the end of the film), Carrie Underwood recorded "Ever Ever After" for Enchanted, Vanessa Williams did a version of "Colors of the Wind" for Pocahontas, and, in the early '90s, apparently Peabo Bryson was the go-to guy for Disney.

I remember his version of "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle playing on the radio, and I definitely remember his version of "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion. That was an "it" song of the early '90s:

Look at the '90s style!

Still. John Legend? I approve. And I'm sure that when Disney was thinking back on this version, they may have thought, "Wow! We had Celine Dion! A great 90's pop-star and total diva. Who's an equivalent now?" and yes, Ariana Grande is a logical, equivalent choice.

But...I don't know. She did a cover of "Zero to Hero" for the We Love Disney album and...maybe I'm just overly picky, but I was not impressed. I'm sure this is a minority opinion, but it was lacking something for me. Yes, it was technically perfect, and the choir in the back definitely helps with the soul, but it fell flat. There's some emotion missing, some deeper connection with the lyrics that makes me hesitant about tackling "Beauty and the Beast."