Josh Groban to perform "Evermore" on the 'Beauty and the Beast' soundtrack

I thought we were done with exciting soundtrack news after Celine Dion revealed last week she would be performing the new song "How Does a Moment Last Forever" on the upcoming album... boy, was I wrong.

Grammy nominee Josh Groban confirmed today that he will perform the song "Evermore" on the live-action soundtrack.

I have a beast of a surprise for you this week, can't wait to share it!

— josh groban (@joshgroban) January 25, 2017

I'm honored to have recorded a special version of For Evermore for the new movie AND I get to show you this never before seen poster!!! 👹🌹 pic.twitter.com/hmWh5uHTc3

— josh groban (@joshgroban) January 26, 2017

“Evermore,” a soaring ballad performed in the film by the Beast (Dan Stevens) after he releases Belle (Emma Watson) to be with her father, is written by eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin”) and veteran lyricist and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (“The Lion King,” “Evita”). Menken also provides the film score, as well as new recordings of the classic songs from the animated film written by himself and Ashman. The original motion picture soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on March 10, 2017. The pre-order is available now at http://disneymusic.co/BeautySndtrkP.

Says Groban, “I am honored to sing this beautiful new song by two of my absolute favorites, Alan Menken and Tim Rice. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been with me since my childhood and to have a musical connection to this new film makes me so happy.”

Mitchell Leib, president of music for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, helped to bring Groban into the musical mix for the film. “Alan Menken, director Bill Condon and I were talking about which contemporary recording artist could even sing such a demanding song, let alone succeed with it. Josh stood alone,” says Leib. “His voice is a natural fit for this showstopper of a composition.”

Composer Alan Menken spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the new song, which will be performed by Beast (Dan Stevens) in the film, last fall.

“‘For Evermore’ is this moment where the Beast now loves Belle, and he realizes that she misses her father, and he acknowledges she’s no longer a prisoner, and when she sees her father’s in trouble, he says, ‘Go to him, go.’ And he voluntarily lets her go,” Menken continues. “He’s basically singing about how he now knows what love is, as he watches her leave, and he’s climbing up the turret of the castle as she recedes into the distance, just watching her go further and further away.”

The deluxe edition soundtrack is available for pre-order and will be available on Friday, March 10th.

Groban previously covered "If I Can't Love Her" from the Broadway production on his Stages album.

Source: @joshgroban