British Rappers FIRST TIME HEARING Pentatonix Bohemiam Rhapsody

Could this be as good as Queens version? Let me know in the comments section below.
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[@feivel069]

Lil bit of info for ya. A year or two after they made this video, the remaining members of Queen were so impressed, they pretty much said this song now is a Pentatonix song, and no longer do they consider it to be explicitly a Queen song. How cool is that?

[@dwaynescouch]

I new it sounded special, artists can appreciate talented musicians. It’s only fans that try to gate keep songs lol!

[@margretrosenberg420]

The thing is, Pentatonix ALWAYS treats the songs they cover, and the original artists, with utmost respect. They take good songs and "upgrade" them by finding a way to make the songs more authentically themselves. It's impossible to take offense when Pentatonix has put so much work and love into improving YOUR song.

[@kimmyf1054]

Really curious as to where you obtained this information? 🤔

[@kevinathans4191]

Yeah..."trust me bro?"

[@perrystevenson6364]

Pentatonix bohemian rhapsody insights . So, some things to know about this cover and video: -It took PTX years to get the arrangement to where they felt they could do the original masterpiece justice. -The cover, and especially the video, was meant to be an homage to Queen. Some of the moments paying respect were: The mono-recording of the line "easy come, easy go" followed by the panning of the voices from left to right on the line "little high, little low" (which is how the original was recorded), obviously the flashlights being used to mimic the lighting on the operatic part of the original video, the four shooting stars to represent the four members of Queen, as well as acknowledge the fact that Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist, and the overhead shot of them lying on the couch is to represent the Sheer Heart Attack album cover. -The megaphone was just a prop. It is not needed to reproduce the electric guitar distortion. -PTX can, and does, perform this live with no backing track...something even Queen and the Great Freddie Mercury could not do. -Freddy once said he didn't care what people did with his music as long as they "...don't make it boring, darling!", so I think he would absolutely approve. -The overall video--with the "living room" and couch--is an homage to Pentatonix's own journey as a group. They lost their record deal right after winning the Sing Off and moving to LA, so they started putting out videos on KZbin, performing covers. They would sit on the couch in Kevin (beatboxer) and Avi's (bass) living room and just record themselves on Mitch's (counter tenor who took the lead on this song) iPad. Some of their earliest videos went viral and they eventually were able to secure a new deal, record an EP, go on tour, release chart-topping albums and win three Grammy awards...so they moved out of the living room and down this new, unknown road. At the end of the day, though, they're still the same choir-nerds they've always been; just happy to sit together on a couch and sing. Also when Brian Mays heard it..he posted it on his web site with the word "enjoy"

[@designsofbutterflies]

You should see a live version of this song. Mitch still makes the sound for the guitar solo without a megaphone

[@margretrosenberg420]

The audio panning on "little high, little low" is a direct quote from Queen. If you listen to Queen's original you'll hear the same panning on the same phrase. Pentatonix loves Queen, and they love "Bohemian Rhapsody," so they always wanted to cover this song, but they feared that they couldn't do it justice, so they decided to wait until they were sure they were ready. That took them five years, but it was worth the wait - they were definitely ready. In the early days of Pentatonix, after Epic reneged on the recording contract Pentatonix had "won" on _The Sing-Off,_ Pentatonix started posting to KZbin; it was the only way they COULD publish their music. A lot of those early KZbin videos show the five of them sitting on a couch, with the trio on the back of the couch and Avi and Kevin on the seat in front of them, just five very young people singing their hearts out, making their dream come true. Note that this is the configuration we see them in at the beginning and end of "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is one reason the couch needs to move - it's taking Pentatonix (and us) on a trip down Memory Lane. The more important reason the couch moves is that it's standing in for the car in _Wayne's World,_ where Wayne and Garth introduced a whole new generation to the genius of Queen by putting a tape of "Bohemian Rhapsody" into the car's tape player. The couch was motorized, and not very well balanced. (Note that when they're sitting on it their feet don't quite reach the ground. The little curtain thing on the bottom was added to hide the motor.) It kept trying to tip over during the filming and actually managed to throw Kevin off at one point. There was a small platform attached to the back so that Kirstie could climb on the couch from behind - Scott, being a foot taller than Kirstie, didn't need it. Many people think the megaphone is distorting Mitch's voice to make him sound more like an electric guitar, but it actually has nothing to do with it. The megaphone wasn't turned on, and couldn't have distorted Mitch's voice even if it had been - it was just a megaphone. The electric guitar is all Mitch. Mitch happened to see the megaphone lying around on the set and thought it would make a cool prop, so it's been confusing people ever since. During the "Bismillah" argument, note that Scott, whose range includes both bass and tenor registers, is actually singing along with both the high and low sides of the argument. Scott has said that this rapid switching is the hardest part of the song for him. When the camera pans up to show us the starry night sky during Mitch's second guitar solo, it's meant as a tribute to Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May, who has a doctorate in astrophysics. The four shooting stars honor the four members of Queen. When the camera pans back down to show Pentatonix lying on the couch together it's meant to recall the cover art for Queen's "Sheer Heart Attack" album. Kevin and Mitch are both singing that last "Any way the wind blows." Note that this completes it; EVERY member of Pentatonix had an opportunity to play Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," yet another dream come true. And when this official video was first released, Brian May posted a link to it on all his social media accounts with the comment: "Enjoy."

[@barbprescott303]

It was Sony that reneged not Epic

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@barbprescott303 Really? They seem to have been very confused. Didn't Sony continue to sponsor the show in 2012? What were they doing sponsoring an a cappella competition show if they didn't think a cappella was marketable? Or was that just an excuse because they didn't think Pentatonix was marketable? The thing is, all of the companies involved were part of Sony. It isn't clear to me how much autonomy the various subsidiaries have, and that seems to be intentional. If no one knows which company made a decision, suddenly everyone involved has plausible deniability.

[@barbprescott303]

@@margretrosenberg420 Sony cancelled their contract with Pentatonix, not the show, which had at least one more season. Sony purportedly didn’t think that Pentatonix would be in high demand. I’ll bet they were gnashing their teeth and pulling out their hair when they saw how very popular PTX became.

[@margretrosenberg420]

@@barbprescott303 Okay, but PTX's contract was specifically with Epic, just as their current contract is with RCA. I understand that all three companies Pentatonix has had contracts with are subsidiaries of Sony. But I'd like some documentation for the parent company being the source of the cancellation. Beyond that, it's obvious that "we don't think a cappella is marketable" was an excuse. I think that when they looked at PTX this is what they saw: 1. Three teenagers, two of whom had dropped out of college after only one year and one of whom had graduated from high school but never even applied to college. 2. Two of the teenagers were openly gay. 3. The oldest member, Kevin, had given up his spot in Harvard Medical School so he could appear on a television show, because he wanted to be a professional beatboxer. 4. The other member had given up a spot in an opera company so he could appear on a television show, as some kind of shortcut to jumpstart his singing career. Doesn't exactly scream "reliable," does it? And I do have to assume that there was some homophobia involved; it's still quite common. But I'm really not clear on what Sony expected to get from their sponsorship. If it was Sony that dropped the contract then Sony must have thought that their agreement to offer the contract as a prize was optional, which is hardly a good business practice.

[@kimclark4862]

Sixty three year old female, Freddie and queen took over my life from Elvis Presley and then suddenly just over a year ago, I found Pentatonix. The fact that Brian and Roger love this cover is like blessings from above. And, my lovely young man, we’re ALL from ‘Up there’ ! I will be here each time you react to them or Queen . Love and light to you.

[@jlelliotton]

PTX often performs this as their encore and Mitch makes that guitar sound with only his voice

[@lynettemouton870]

Yes the megaphone is just a prop

[@erikanelson7981]

They did this live at their concert that I saw on the 26th of last month. Totally amazing!

[@dwaynescouch]

Oh man I would love to see this live. They sound amazing in this video. So if they come close to this, I imagine it’s amazing.

[@brian52763]

If you really want to have an Adio- Orgasm, then check of their version in John Lennons IMAGINE! It's just sublime musically with a powerful message!

[@Gwennedd]

Truly! I second that choice!!

[@neetgupta1]

It's mindblowing isn't it?! I love the 'Grassi guitar' - and the megaphone was just a prop for the video Mitch just does it with his voice when they sing it live and it's just as good. I think they should have won a Grammy for this one. It's one of the best a cappella arrangements ever made. Brian May thinks so too. He posted it on his socials with one word 'Enjoy'. As a rapper, you should listen to some of the songs where they rap. They can all rap (apart from Avi but their bass from 2017, Matt can rap!) and as you know, that is a different skill altogether compared to their unbelievable singing voices. Try 'Can't hold us' - a Macklemore and Ryan Lewis cover or 'Problem' by Ariana Grande where Mitch does the Iggy Azalea rap. Also Mitch and Scott's side channel Superfruit do an amazing version of Nicki Minaj and Beyonce's 'Feeling myself' where they both rap.

[@davidoconnell1680]

Great reaction 👏. Love it. They definitely paid tribute to Queen. When they pan to the stars, the four shooting stars are for the members of Queen and for Brian May who got his degree in astrophysics. May loved this so much that after seeing it he put up a link to it. Can't get better praise than that.

[@AudioVile]

If no one else told you, the megaphone is only a prop. He's doing it with his voice.

[@williamhallam2449]

FYI, the megaphone is a prop only. He’s not actually using it. In live concerts he doesn’t have the megaphone and still sounds the same. Blows the mind.

[@dwaynescouch]

That’s insane that that sounds is coming from his mouth lol

[@vidsorama2]

Thank you for reacting to this beautiful Pentatonix video. They are amazing. Mitch can also sound like a violin.

[@bfly5990]

PTX would say this is a tribute and in no way meant to compete with the original but to honor it. They don’t think of music as a competition .

[@jessicajones182]

Yes that is suppose to happen. Its panning. Epic. Their live performance is just as good or even better than the studio version.

[@tqueen6719]

The panning is on Queen's video. They pay homage in several ways to Queen's video. I'm sure a Pentaholic will give you all the examples. They always do.

[@blackenreed1425]

As a fan of Pentatonix/Home Free/VoicePlay, I appreciate all that they do, and try not to miss new releases. I have to say that this is exceptional, but considering that I watched the original on a 14" black and white mono TV and was just a gobsmacked (ancient English for Mitch slapped), I have tou give some of the credit to modern technology.

[@celiachristman104]

Many of their first videos were sung in one of their apt. living rooms on a couch.....2 in the front, and 3 in the back. Some of their "evolution of.." videos were shot on a couch. They have shot about a dozen videos on couches. I have a list if you are interested. So glad you appreciated their talent. This was a tough one for them to do. They wanted to do it justice, and as you said, indeed they did.

[@sallymorehouse3179]

I absolutely adore Pentatonix! They are my favorite vocal group by far, and they killed this song!! However, in my opinion, no one can ever take the place of Queen on this song!

[@df5199]

Recommend their cover of The Prayer.

[@lorriredmon8212]

I had so much fun watching this reaction. I smiled the whole way through. So glad you appreciated this as much as you did. Even Sir. Brian May loved it. You can't top that praise. I really love your style and reactions. Thank you so much.

[@hardboiledmahoney3273]

Its my first time seeing this song as well. WOW! Watching with you is an honor.

[@dwaynescouch]

Aw thanks :). I’m glad you enjoyed the song and video. Thanks for watching.

[@johnhurtme]

​@@dwaynescouchAnother of your favorite new artists on the channel Angelina Jordan deconstructed this song and used it to shock the America's got talent CHAMPIONS crowd to pin-drop silence and left simon cowel slack jawed and fighting for words. Garnering a golden buzzer. Its the most fantastic version ive ever heard. And queen gave her the rights to her jazzy arrangement kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3eTe4lobduagtksi=e9CUa0HEjj5lViob

[@theladyisabelle]

This is a group i have loved dor years...i look forward ro taking my granson to a concert one day.

[@pamelajohnson6199]

Mitch is so effortlessly elegant~they are all amazing (ﾟ⁠οﾟ⁠人⁠)⁠) 🎶❤️

[@elainedavis9053]

Great Reaction - Thanks so much!!

[@lijohns57]

If you want to hear an AMAZING Pentatonix performance, react to Pentatonix Amazing Grace. It is truly amazing!

[@markhermans5284]

Crazy pure talent...al of them. It's great seeing people like yourself enjoying this group as much as I do. Thanks for sharing and stay safe.

[@danielcarter837]

The Grassi Guitar does not require a megaphone. It is just a prop to draw attention to who is making the sound. I heard it done live and it was EPIC! Mitch might be the reincarnation of Freddie Mercury. Freddie died in November 1991 and Mitch was born in July 1992. He can also grow the Freddie mustache. It is so close to matching it is kinda creepy.

[@Masq1980]

These guys are just flippin amazing alien unicorns! It took them 5 years to feel ready to do this song and to do it the justice that it deserves. They are all massive Queen fans. Brian May, lead guitarist from Queen, heard this song when it came out and posted a link to his socials with the one word comment 'Enjoy!' I feel like that is giving Queen's Seal of Approval right there! They also inserted a lot of references and easter eggs into this video in tribute to the original video - which by the way, if you haven't seen - you should probably check it out! Queen couldn't perform this song live because of all the layering they did in post! And not only can Pentatonix do this Live, but the Mitch Grassi Guitar has no need for a Megaphone. Mitch just saw it lying around the set and decided to use it to draw attention to who was doing the guitar solo part - the megaphone was not on, Mitch can do this live! The couch is in reference to their beginning videos where they recorded themselves on various of theirs couches to post onto KZbin after they were dropped by Sony because they didn't think that Acapella would be popular enough to sell records. It is also a tip of the hat to Wayne's World movie scene with the car and head banging to this song which brought in a whole new generation to Queen's music! The part where Mitch is laying on the couch is in reference to Freddie's death and the members walking alongside are his coffin's Pallbearers. A lot of the visuals in here are in tribute to the original video's trippy graphics; like when they all line up and do the 'oh, oh, oh's' one after the other, and also when they line up behind Kirstie standing on the couch only to fan out behind her with their vocal parts. The shot of the sky is in tribute to Dr. Brian May who is Queen's lead guitarist and also an astrophysicist! Each shooting star represents a member of Queen. When they all collapse onto the couch with the shot from above is a homage to the cover art of Queen's record 'Sheer Heart Attack' Also I am pretty sure, Mitch is a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury - one...he can grow the Freddie Stash and looks so much like Freddie that it is kinda creepy - two...he can sing just as high if not higher than Freddie could - and three...Freddie died 8 months before Mitch was born!

[@jeanferrell953]

I listened to this song hundreds of times but is still breathless each time I hear it. I wish you would react to Avi Kaplan solo, Change on the Rise. ( former bass for Pentatonix)

[@bdickins2190]

One thing that makes me laugh about when Mitch is singing guitar is that Kevin is playing "air drums" and nobody seems to comment. I think its hilarious!

[@DebLindley-xg8gz]

WOW!! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!

[@larryc3860]

Kevin, the beatboxer, provided the "drums"........no instruments were harmed (or played) for this performance.........

[@tamiw.166]

No megaphone, just Mitch. It's just a prop! They are not human. ♥

[@nickskelton1780]

Brian May of Queen dropped this on his twitter feed with one word..."Enjoy" nuff said.

[@stephaniem2007]

Saw last Christmas show up as a suggestion at the end- you should watch that one too… you’ll love the drums

[@tyseemahbishop6123]

ABC did a Queen singalong years ago and PTX was on it singing. Check it out

[@enosh1505]

the best part is pentatonix dosnt spoil the song and keep it as close to the original as possible

[@MyOwnLilBubble92]

You are in for one wild ride!! If you want yo hear Kevin sing try out Amazing Grace

[@Back2SquareOne]

Yes, they hit it out of the park, again. Imagine if they tanked it. You really don't want to screw up on a song that is so widely revered by so very many people. This was a mammoth undertaking but once again they rose to the occasion. Well done, PTX.

[@dwaynescouch]

Absolutely, they get props for even trying to cover one of the biggest songs of all time.

[@barbarakennedy2667]

It took five years working on the arrangement before they had it right to honor Queen.

[@udohaupenthal9566]

Another Recommendation ist a solo video of Kevin Olusola (Beat Boxer). His Cover of "True Colors" ist also great.

[@kristaphipps6932]

Duane, you're absolutely delightful! I've just watched all 3 reviews you've done of Pentatonix music & your reactions are so in the Pentaholics' flow. Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. SO much more for you experience. Just a couple of suggestions: (cover) "Come Along" & (original) "Love Again". I'll leave it there as I could go on for pages of titles. (Ok! Just a few more: "Gold", " The Prayer" & "Havana" - all covers but well worth the time to listen. Thanx for your excellent work. Oh yes, & I definitely subscribed.

[@dwaynescouch]

Aw thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the reactions. Thanks so much for the suggestions I’ll definitely check them out

[@kimclark4862]

At fifteen, Queen took over my life at fifteen.

[@dizzydolly1]

I love watching your reactions to Pentatonix and I think you are becoming a Pentaholic like the rest of us. I think your next one should be their Daft Punk Medley where you will get to witness the amazing base of Avi as you seem impressed by the base in the previous tracks. Enjoy!!!

[@tyseemahbishop6123]

The megaphone was a prop! Watch this live and he does it without one

[@brucemccarthy6237]

Home Free is another great group that does this genre of music

[@user-co7vs3cs2s]

The megaphone is only a prop you should hear the Live from the Hollywood Bowl performance, its the same there (only no megaphone).

[@danielcarter837]

The best remake of this iconic song with or without instruments.

[@donbarbaraphillipson6285]

I agree with your assessment!! Such an iconic piece to tackle….and brilliantly!🤩

[@MarkSmith-yz6pm]

From my understanding… the megaphone was merely a prop, it was all Mitch! I am still trying to figure that one out!

[@jenniferwelch646]

You need to react to Amazing Grace by them please.

[@AudioVile]

The word 'better' doesn't apply to Freddy Mercury. Having said that, this performance remains one of the absolute hallmarks of the Pentatonix legacy. We Pentaholics always enjoy watching someone hear this the first time! Great reaction!

[@TerryYelmene]

WOW!

[@GQkid13]

It is SO GOOD live!! Mitch does it without the megaphone and its just so...ughhh amazing!!

[@susanstein6604]

Mitch can do that guitar sound live wits megaphone.

[@angiepen]

I don't like this version *more* than Queen's original, but I like it just as much, for different reasons. :)

[@nancybaker128]

I loe your reactions!

[@jeanferrell953]

Grammy worthy

[@rachellephipps1361]

Great reaction. If you love the bass you should check out his solo stuff so good. Would recommend Change on the rise or I'm only getting started Avi Kaplan

[@davidoconnell1680]

Okay, my second comment. Love your reaction to this. Totally awesome. I just subscribed and I know that doesn't mean a lot in the big scheme of things but I have one request. Eddie Van Halen, eruption solo. It's 13 min long and I don't know if you like guitar solos. There's very few great ones, but if you want to hear the greatest Rock and Roll guitar player that's ever lived then please check him out. You won't be disappointed.

[@beautibelle2000]

You should check out Imagine by PTX. Also listen to Chris Kläfford

[@capttheo1]

The megaphone doesn't work, it's just a prop.

[@dwaynescouch]

Ahh it sounds like he’s using it lol

[@marablemorgan8292]

Just know the megaphone was only a prop... not responsible for Mitch's guitar solo...!

[@barbaragoodreau6507]

Watch them do it live. The guitar part is all Mitch not the megaphone.

[@Broomrider1492]

Now you need to hear VoicePlays cover. Queen In 5 minutes. It's an amazing Medley. VoicePlay #TheatreKidsOfACapella.

[@alynkuster5138]

Megaphone was just a prop. He does this live without.

[@sylvia7867]

The megaphone is just a prop not an enhancement of sound at all 😮

[@Meydoosa]

Aliens from the planet WTF…I’m amazed by everything they do. Their live version of Problem from their earlier days impressed me m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3evmZmnqa6miqc&pp=ygUXcGVudGF0b25peCBwcm9ibGVtIGxpdmU%3D Then there was Aha from Singapore at some theatre that showed Mitch isn’t from this planet. I know the redbull story, but damn. I can’t remember the name of the theater, but you should definitely check both of those out.

[@Meydoosa]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4WVf6Bqm76gf5Y&pp=ygUOYWhhIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D It’s the star vista…and again…damn. Avi blew out the speakers and Mitch blew our minds.

[@rachaelyamasaki3889]

No Instruments! All vocals!

[@melissacoviello2886]

No they didn’t do it better than Freddie, but as you can see that wasn’t their intention either!

[@joepowell7025]

NAH !! NOWHERE EVEN CLOSE TO QUEEN !!

[@janetburrows137]

The sete Was actually on the read. Kevin nearly got run over but the settee???? Top job PTXB.?💕🙏❤️🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶