Disney has announced that R&B singer H.E.R will play Belle in the forthcoming ABC special Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration.

The actress shared her delight at landing the role, which will be recorded in front of a live audience, saying:

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle! I have always wanted to be a Disney princess. And I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

The Slide vocalist is in high demand since she will be seen in Blitz Bazawule’s musical version of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel The Color Purple.