In a new interview with British GQ, Elton John shared some choice words about this year’s remake of The Lion King, which starred Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and more. “The new version of The Lion King was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up,” he said. After providing songs for the 1994 film, John added, “Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn’t have the same impact. The magic and joy were lost.”
John continued, “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,” he said. “The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box-office success.”
In addition to the new film’s standard soundtrack—which featured John’s previous compositions like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” as well as his new original “Never Too Late”—a companion album, The Lion King: The Gift, was released. It was curated by Beyoncé and featured Kendrick Lamar, JAY-Z, Tierra Whack, Childish Gambino, and more.
Read the full interview via British GQ.