Elton John Criticizes "Lion King " Soundtrack, Says Only One Artist Is A Star Right Now

BY Erika Marie 6.5K Views
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Beyoncé, Elton John
This will ruffle a few feathers.

In 1994, lives were changed forever when "Circle of Life" from The Lion King was shared with the world. The song was composed by Sir Elton John who later offered up a pop version of the soundtrack hit, and for decades its been embedded in the minds of Disney animated film fans worldwide. Twenty-five years later we've received an offering of a live-action, star-studded remake, and although the film has gone on to gross over one billion dollars at the box office, Sir Elton John still isn't impressed.

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The entertainment icon sat down with GQ and spoke about music, and when he was asked to share his thoughts on the new The Lion King film, he didn't mince words. "The new version of The Lion King was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up. Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn’t have the same impact," he said. "The magic and joy were lost. The soundtrack hasn’t had nearly the same impact in the charts that it had 25 years ago, when it was the bestselling album of the year. The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box-office success."

He also shared that he wanted to be more involved in the music-making process, but he was shunned from doing so. "I wish I’d been invited to the party more, but the creative vision for the film and its music was different this time around and I wasn’t really welcomed or treated with the same level of respect," he added. "That makes me extremely sad. I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with the Lion King stage musical."

Sir Elton keeps his ear to the ground when it comes to rising artists from various genres, and he's quite knowledgable about what's currently trending on the charts. He's praised Khalid, Billie Eilish, A Tribe Called Quest, Lizzo, Teyana Taylor, Young Thug, and was rumored to have hit the studio with Future. When questioned about who he considers to be a star in today's culture, Elton gave a surprising answer. According to the pop icon, there's only one person who he thinks is truly living out that title.

"To be a star, you have to be a star for a long time and you have to do that by being a live performer. You can’t be a star just by making records," he said. "That’s not going to happen. To be a star, you have to last for 50 years. You have to be a Barbra Streisand. You have to be a Paul McCartney. You have to be Sting. You have to be Fleetwood Mac. You have to be The Who. Christine And The Queens, in my opinion, is a huge star, but she hasn’t cracked it yet commercially. The only real star at the moment is Lady Gaga. She could have a career like Barbra Streisand if she wanted to. She’s got the ambition, she’s got the talent coming out of every pore of her body, so it’s up to her whether she wants it and I think she does want it." Do you agree?

 


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.