Last Friday, June 12th, Simple Plan in collaboration with Disney released the first single off the upcoming Disney album A Whole New Sound, which will feature pop-punk and alternative bands putting their own spin on popular Disney tracks. Simple Plan’s single ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ is a cover of the original 1994 Elton John song, which was famously featured in The Lion King.
Previously, the band has teased some connection with The Lion King in a reel on Instagram as well as at the soundcheck in Saarbrücken, Germany, where they performed this song as a little surprise for the attendees.
Listen to the full cover of ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ by Simple Plan below:
And what did Simple Plan say about this collaboration?
“When Disney reached out to us to be a part of this project, it was a bit overwhelming because there are so many amazing Disney songs. But it became obvious pretty quickly that The Lion King song book, and especially “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” stood out from the rest. The song just has such a classic feel, and the melodies are so memorable and timeless. We also felt like it would lend itself really well to our style and would sound awesome as a pop-punk version.” [source: Billboard]
“We wanted to pay homage to Sir Elton John’s original version while also adding our own style to it and making it sound fun and energetic. We’re really stoked by how it turned out and we hope everyone will enjoy it.” [source: The Walt Disney Company]
“It’s also one of those songs and movies that has been such an important part of people’s lives. Lots of our fans grew up watching it and listening to the soundtrack and we also played them for our own kids. So, it holds a special place in our hearts and felt like the rare song that could connect to a very wide range of listeners across many generations. Finally, the fact that the movie celebrates its 30th anniversary this year was just the icing on the cake! It’s such an honor to offer our own version of this song and to cover such an iconic artist like Sir Elton John. We’re not sure if he heard the song or not, but we hope he will enjoy this new version and feel like we did it justice.” [source: Billboard]
And this is not nearly the end of Simple Plan’s collaboration with Disney: on August 9th, the band will perform this cover at the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, CA.
