Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

Confession time, Beauty and the Beast was never like a favorite Disney movie of mine, don’t get me wrong, I like it, I’m just not attach to it in a nostalgic ways. Nor am I a big fan of Emma Watson so I don’t have any excitement for the new version.   With that said, let’s look at the music video “starring” Ariana Grande and John Legend.

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

It’s rather interesting that this version of the song sounds more 90’s than the 90’s version.  This is not a good version of the song. Grande’s voice doesn’t seems suited for it. Like her diction is all over the place trying to sound “pretty.” Legend does better but does very little for the song.

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana-Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

So let’s just move on to the actually video. Well let’s just get this out of the way, WHAT IS GRANDE WEARING? Who designed that and who said “yeah let’s put her in a loofa?” (I realize everyone is saying it looks like a loofa and that because it’s true)  Grande dress is supposed  to look like a rose but this is a monstrosity. If this was on Project runway it would be voted out. It’s like bolt of tulle threw up on her. There are ways of communicating the shape of a flower in cloth without like like a wanna-be-designer.  I don’t want to give the impression of knowing anything about actually fashion design or aesthetics BUT typically when doing voluminous or big gown you need to balance out the portions. So big ballgown more streamlined bodice and vice-versa. This gown, why I get is suppose to be artistic does adhere to that method and just opts bit volume on volume but hey at least her hair in flat and straight. The thing the dress could have been fixed easily, just remove the tulle from the bust and left it smooth or add bead ot embroidery for more close up shots.  The volume isn’t even necessary as you don’t see the dress when the dancers form a rose around Grande.

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

The dancing is actually one of highlights of the video. The way they form a rose is quite visually pleasing. While I know knowing about dancing the  choreography was very nice.

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

I get the visual frame but what is it framing? Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

Though I will say this with the dancers, Grande’s gown, Legend at the piano , Belle and Beast dancing, the over-the-top set and the firework sparkle effects,  it’s a visual overload. The a lot of  shots become cluttered.      

 Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend picture image

Beauty and the Beast music video with Ariana Grande & John Legend

This music video is just a case of  more equals  more. With minor tweaks it could have been a well-portion over-the-top grand video but instead it seemed a case of over indulgence all over the place.        

What do you think? Was Grande wearing a Loofa? Did you find this video timeless and elegant  like the song or was over-the-top and over blown?   

Click here to watch the Video  

This is a Music Video of Tina Arena singing “Live from the One I Love.” Which is   the English version of Vivre. Arena played Esmeralda in the first London  cast.  This video reminds me so much of Jim Henson’s 1986 movie The Labyrinth.  She sings it in a Labyrinth  and there is a white owl.

However this may have be a connect to Notre Dame de Chartes which has a Labyrinth and Chartes is considered the Seat of Mary, as it’s believed that her veil is housed there.  Also all the water imagery relates to Mary too.

Or it could that a labyrinth stands for  the singer being trapped and lost without it being a apparent that the song is from a musical.

For the most the video is kind of cheesy with its blues tones, CGs, weird overlays,  weird cross fades and odd costumes. However despite the clunky lyrics, Arena sounds great.

So I wanted to make an Notre Dame de Paris AMV with an anime but nothing panned out so I decided to use Notre Dame de Paris using an anime song. I used the song from Trinity Blood which is called Dress by Buck-tick, though it’s not the full song.

Trinity Blood is about more or less about a Vampire priest.

The Lyrics

In front of the mirror, I nap with you; your light red fingertips
Your hands unexpectedly showed your weakness and shut your lips
On that day, I exchanged promises with you
Now we can’t recall them

Why don’t I have wings for floating in that sky, like the wind, like the clouds; Why?
Don’t I have wings for sinking into that night, that wraps everything like the stars, like the moon? Ah