5 Seconds of Summer Honor Freddie Mercury with “Killer Queen” Tribute
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WRITTEN BY: Victoria Leese
With the release of Bohemian Rhapsody hitting theaters nationwide November 2nd, Queen fans all over the globe are reminiscing about the band’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury, and the legacy he left behind. Other musicians such as Shawn Mendes covered the rock band’s biggest hits. Mendes released an acoustic cover of “Under Pressure” earlier this month.
The track hits close to home as the quartet stated that they kept hearing it while recording their latest studio album Youngblood making it number three for them. The band stated that Queen has had a heavy influence on them including their harmonies and songwriting.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the band explained, “For us, the exploration of individual vocalists in a band is incredibly important and Queen helped us to see the future of how we want to sing, in addition to how we play our instruments.”
The cover is a modern take on the rock band’s international hit. It will benefit the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an organization co-founded by Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, drummer, Roger Taylor, and band manager, Jim Beach to help support the fight against HIV/AIDS after Mercury’s passing from the disease in 1991. The organization was formed the following year in 1992.
In an article posted by Q102 Philly, Jim Beach released a statement thanking 5SOS for the beautiful rendition of the classic hit. “Everyone at the Mercury Phoenix Trust is thrilled that 5 Seconds of Summer have joined our global campaign fighting AIDS in celebration of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. Thank you 5SOS for giving us such an impeccable version of Freddie’s classic ‘Killer Queen.”
Until you can watch the biopic in theaters November 2nd, take a listen to this modernized cover of “Killer Queen”.
