This is one Pentatonix performance that I absolutely cannot resist whenever a reactor covers it.

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. (And yes, we hear the panning in your reaction - your audio is good.) 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 KZfaq; it was the only way they COULD publish their music. A lot of those early KZfaq 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 Kirstin could climb on the couch from behind - Scott, being a foot taller than Kirstin, didn't need it. When Mitch lies down on the couch, singing "Too late, My time has come," they're referring to Freddie Mercury's death (the foreshadowing was, of course, unintentional on Freddie's part; there's no way he could have known about AIDS, thank goodness). The other four are walking next to the couch to serve as Mitch's pall bearers. Many people think the megaphone is distorting Mitch's voice to make it sound more like an electric guitar, but the megaphone actually has nothing to do with it. It 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. 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."

Kevin perfectly imitated a full drum kit with cymbals. Avi was a bass guitar with wind chimes thrown in. Kirsten and Scott were the synthesizer. They pretty much had the whole band covered. Keyboards, bass, percussion, electric guitar, and wind chimes for good measure.

They were indeed on an actual road and luckily, there actually is a behind the scenes for the making of this one that you can watch! This is often their encore song in concert. It’s even better live! Fantastic reaction!

Be ready to be astounded. This is a masterpiece of a cappella. Major "Mitchslap" coming.

Your face with Mitch's guitar solo is everything!!!

This only took five years for them to polish this performance before they felt it was worthy to perform as a homage to Queen. There is a BTS film about the way this was done.

Brian May posted this with the simple invitation: "Enjoy". I would call that the gold seal of approval! ✨💖✨

Loved your reaction. Mitch! He blows my mind EVERY-TIME! He goes by HE/HIM. You are perfect in calling him “him” ❤️

“P*ss off and keep p*ssing off!” Hahahaha, amazing reaction to Mitch’s guitar solo 😂

All of us Penta-holics will help you. This is a stunning song by PTX. They are perfection ! It was filmed in a PARKING LOT, and they have a video of how it was filmed. Their harmonies are extremely well sung. They begin as they sit in certain places on the couch, a rolling couch, as the backdrop slides away, the couch rolls back to the darkness. They keep singing, sometimes they all jump up and sing on the move around the couch, interacting with each other, taking turns standing on the couch. The camera focuses on each singer. When Mitch sings the guitar solo, it sounds like a megaphone, BREATHTAKING ! but the one he holds sitting atop the couch back, is a prop. ( when live - he sings it the exact same as here ) The sound he makes is all Mitch greatness. the camera pans to the starry sky, and back down for more of the songs finishing touches. As they sing softer at the end, the couch moves forward and the original backdrop wall slides back behind the couch, as they sit in their original places. You can hear the sound of wind at the very end, done by the guys. Fabulous as always with this group !

Oh, and in case you didn't know the Megaphone is just a prop he does this live and doesn't have a megaphone and it sounds the same as this studio version (see Pentatonix Hollywood bowl concert live, it's the same).

The video was shot in a church parking lot. There is a behind the scenes video that is definitely worth watching.

I get full-body chills every time I watch their cover of this. It's just. SO. DAMNED. GOOD. GAH!!!!!

Sir Brian May posted this video on his social media with just a single word “Enjoy”

Indeed... it was shot on a deserted piece of actual road. It took the entire night ( a very cold one) to film the entire video. The couch was a major problem....it was motorized and sort of ran over Kevin at one point. It was dangerous! It was also taller ( because of all the mechanics underneath it) so the crew had to build a shelf at the back for Kirstie to use when climbing on the dratted thing. There was also an issue with the opening and closing set....at one point the set closed badly and too fast and sorta wrecked the coffee table ( which also breaks away when the "walls" open). They had to rebuild it a bit. There's a BTS video of them making the video. After all the years they spent arranging and perfecting their version of this song, the filming was just as hard. Those notes ( piano and instrumental) that you love are called "bell tones" ( or in formal music terminology...arpeggios), and PTX excels in using them in their arrangements.

I always love watching your reactions. Specially, when you get excited, then say “piss off” 😂

You should react to Pentatonix "Making of Bohemian Rhapsody". It shows how they filmed this video and yes, it was on an actual road on a motorized sofa.

I usually don't like when other artists cover and or adapt songs that I love and I always prefer the original but although no one will ever equal the original QUEEN and Freddy Mercury version Pentatonix came damn close, what they did was incredible and I love their version almost as much as the original.

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. Also when Brian Mays heard it... he posted it on his web site with the word "ENJOY”. -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 KZfaq, 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.

my favorite PTX is "Oh come all ye Faithful"

I was just waiting for your reaction to Mitch doing the guitar part, your face was the most perfect reaction to yet another Mitch-slap moment ❤️

Love your reactions! Love your enthusiasm! Thank you for always bringing a smile to my face, Dylan. 😊❤

5:40 - "There is one thing that Pentatonix are absolute masters at. Absolute Masters" Your point is certainly valid, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's more than just one thing.

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 KZfaq 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 amazing the resemblance - two...he can sing just as high if not higher than Freddie could - and three...Freddie died 8 months before Mitch was born!

Your reaction to Mitch's electric guitar was much anticipated and spectacular!

If you want to see what ELSE they can do, look at their Daft Punk Medley or their 90s Dance Medley - which includes both songs and their "effects" in ways that just don't sound like voices. They have some SERIOUSLY versatile voices.

DJ, I again have to thank you for being such a bright and beautiful human being. It seems that whenever I am having a rough time - emotionally, mentally, physically, all of the above - the video you post that day always lifts my flagging spirits. ❤ You will always be my #1. Beautiful reaction, as always. Thank you for being so authentically you! 🙏🏻❤️

Pentatonix are so good at faithful and true covers that add their own spark of something magical. I love this, it was amazing! And the video was really well done too! Thank you Katie for putting this in front of DJ for us! It was an incredible choice.

Yep. Had same reaction! Lol. Amazing! 💕🎵🤯

You’re one of the few reactions I’ve watched that picked up Mitch is imitating an electric guitar and not actually using the megaphone distort his voice.

I believe the official term for the “dum dum bell” sounds you talked about is “bell tones.”

This is the peak of PTX. 'nuff said.

This is one of the most EPIC covers of ALL time. This will go down in history as big as the original from Queen. Please check out " I Rise", an original PTX song, and "Kiss from a Rose". You will be BLOWN out of your seat, AND don't forget to have your fan ready!!!! Thanks DJ for doing a PTX reaction and ... Do More, do more, do more !!!!

Great cover, great reaction, keep Pentatonix coming.

Watch the out takes. They had trouble with the couch, they needed helmets. LOL

Something you nailed that I had only known subconsciously: Pentatonix does not do the typical background vocals of oohs and aahs. They are masters of arranging. The background vocals are always more instrumental than the typical vocal backing that most artists use. They are extremely purposeful and complicated. I don't know if this is Ben Bram's influence or the group's doing, but they have always done this, and I think maybe that's what set them apart from all other a cappella groups from their very first performance on the Sing Off. When I watched that performance on the very night it aired, I turned to my husband and said "Ok, there's your season 3 winner right there." They are just that unique, which is how they have managed to thrive in the music world that typically makes no room for a musical act like a capella.

DJ is finally getting to Bohemian Rhapsody. I don't know where that fits on signs of the apocalypse, but surely it must be one. That and the eclipse, the red heifer, and all the other end times stuff that keeps showing up on my youtube feed. But seriously, DJ's response to this should positively be "Why in the H E double toothpicks did I wait this freaking long?"

in their very early videos they filmed them sitting on a couch with the trio on the back and Avi and Kevin in front. i think this was their last video with Avi, so my personal opinion is they did it this way to close the circle and end the Avi era as a call back to the beginning.

This reaction was legendary. Love the respect you obviously have for them all and their otherworldly talent! ❤ Big fan of your channel.

Wow my favorite song that they have covered 😍

its called bell tones famous in Barbershop Harmony

DJ's reaction to Mitch's guitar solo was EVERYTHNIG!!! lmao! So happy to see him react to this! Cheers! :)

Yep the panning comes across as well. Crazy talented humans.

This was shot outside in Portland, Oregon during a cold night. Mitch called the couch a "Killer Couch" because it kept falling over backwards everytime they mounted or dismounted it. Notice that the video never shows a complete mounting or dismounting the couch. It always cuts away in the middle. I don't think you've reacted to what most people consider to be their best video, Hallelujah. Then react to The Prayer and Amazing Grace.

this is my favorite presentation of this song.

There is a behind the scenes for this. Great reaction. Subbed for more!

Yes, we can hear the panning the same way you heard it :-)

I stumbled on this video years ago (I thought it was something else), but I thank the gods for that accident. Their cover is so good that I am reluctant to listen to other Pentatonix songs, lest the magic spell be broken. I had a good idea which surprises would delight our (still under-appreciated) host, and that added to the magic. Thank you.

A few things, the couch represents in the early days of PTX, The movng couch represents their journey. Now, when Brian May (now Sir Dr. Brian May) saw this the day after it was released, he liked it so much he shared it on all of his social media, with just one word “Enjoy”. That is high praise from Sir Dr. May. They worked on this on and off for about 5 years, until they thought they had an arrangement that did justice to the original. Mitch does not use the megaphone in real life, it was just a prop so people had something to look at that would draw their eyes where the group wanted them. When you see the night sky that was to pay homage to Brian May, who is now an astrophysics. The 4 shooting stars pay homage to the original., band members. BTW, Queen has never been able to do this live completely. They way they layered in the video of themselves in the video, they just had to run off-stage, and show the opera part on a screen, then come back on screen and finish the song. PTX did it completely, and they do it live. At the end when they fall on the couch in a "cuddle pile", that is paying homage to the Sheer Heart Attack album cover. Live Version kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLN2g9ag2sfZnWQ.html&start_radio=1 ask and ye shall receive: Bohemian Rhapsody behind the scenes kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h56lmq2frq3DfJ8.html

It’s amazing live!

Yes, the left-then-right sound came through, and I’m not even using headphones. I’m watching on my phone, and it still came through with the sound on one side then the other.

Just saying Mitch does not need the megaphone when doing the performance live. They didn't have it when they performed this one and sounded JUST as good!!

I believe Mitch actually identifies as he/they

There is a Behind the Scenes video on how they pulled this together - and they were on a road - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h56lmq2frq3DfJ8.htmlsi=_L5mIVvQYS456v0I

Yes, heard the back and forth vocals. I think they used the couch since their first home produced videos were done on a couch. Recommend their cover of The Prayer.

Brian May is actually Dr. Brian May. He is an astrophysicist. His PhD thesis is a survey of radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud" was published in 2007 and is a popular astronomy book today (same name). He started his research in 1970 and then stopped to run around the world in this rock band named Queen. I don't remember when but he did go back and finish it hence he has his doctorate The megaphone in a prop. Mitch does not use it in the live performances. the voice you hear when they're looking at the stars is the same voice Mitch uses with the megaphone . The shot at the sky is homage to Brian May. Brian May was so impressed with the video that he posted it on all of his social media sites. The part where Mitch is lying down on the couch and Kevin and Avi are walking beside it are to represent the pallbearers carrying Freddie's coffin ( the linezz, Mitch sings is too late my time has come). The shot at the end when they're looking up at the sky always puzzled me because there are four shooting stars and I always wondered about that because there are 5 members in PTX. I read in a comment that it's an homage to Queen because there are 4 members in Queen. At least that's how I interpret the shooting stars. The moving couch pays homage to how they started. After Sony dropped them after they won The Sing-Off PTX took to KZfaq releasing their own videos. Those are the ones where they're all just seated on a couch and they do the whole video in one shot ) hey worked on this song for five or six years to get it where it is right now.

Depending on which copy of the song where the video settings are slightly different (a little less dark), you can see the trees and fences along the street behind them.

Hello. Thank you for your reaction. Try Next with "Somebody to Love" from them. You will love it👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Definitely watch the behind the scenes video.

This comment is in two parts. The first to address your questions on the video and the second background information on the video. You are one of the few reactors that recognized that the opening shot of them on the couch is duplicating the opening shot of the original video with just the four faces. And then as in the original video it ends back with them on the couch or the four faces. When the sound moves from side to side it's called panning. It does come through which is why it's so important people wear headphones when listening. It does that in the original also. They are called bell tones. Even though you've already heard Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy I would love to watch you react to it. You now have so much knowledge and insight into acapella under your belt you pretty much be seen it with new eyes and different things will stand out for you. I really don't think anyone would mind particularly as long as you say up front this is just a re-reaction. Remember, for Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy they won a Grammy for singing a song that has no words with no words. Day one that Grammy in the same category as Daft Punk. To get Daft Punk entered into the Grammys the Grammy committee had to change the name of an award category from best arrangement, instrumental to best arrangement, instrumental, acapella. Every so often PTX does do a behind-the-scenes video and there is a behind-the-scenes video for this. I was really hoping you were going to stop go check and then play it. On a personal note I've noticed in the last month that you have a ring on your left ring finger. If congratulations are in order congratulations. Did you know Home Free covered Bohemian Rhapsody? Now to part 2

I think there's an editing error - there's 8 minutes of nothing but one of the video cover graphics at the end of the video. It's also overlapping the visuals in the outro.

There is a behind the scenes video for the making of this video.

They blew me away with this one! One of my favorite Mitch leads!! When did Mitch switch his pronouns?? I’ve always heard that he is equally good with either he/him and she/her?? BYW they did a behind the scenes video of the making of this one. You should check it out! ❤

There is a making of for the video

That pan between each earpiece of the headphones is both from the Queen original and you need to listen with headphones to really catch it

You should check out the making of this video

Mitch has never identified as they as far as I know. Unless it was in the last week or so?

You should watch Somebody to Love. They performed it for a Queen tribute show.

According to the PTX interwebs Mitch Grassi uses he/him pronouns.

Actually, you got the terminology almost perfectly. Those "dum dum" sounds are called "bell tones," and Pentatonix typically uses them to substitute for a piano. How was it done? Putting aside the question of how they can have such fantastic voices, to which the only onswer is "I don't know," like virtually all PTX official videos for songs they released on an album, the audio was recorded in the studio and they were lip-synching in the video. Which DOESN'T mean that they weren't actually singing - Pentatonix lip-synchs by singing, so everyone is in time and all their movements are natural - it just means that they weren't recording the audio when they recorded the video. Beyond that, I suggest you watch the "Behind the Scenes" video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h56lmq2frq3DfJ8.html Yes, they were actually outdoors, either on a road or in a parking lot, and they were rushing to complete the video before sunrise. They very nearly didn't make it - by the end of the video we're starting to see trees in the background.

And now the Dan Vasc version please! 😀

I would love to recommend Bohemian Rhapsody, sung by the audience, at a Green Day's concert (emo group). Just put Green Day Bohemian Rhapsody at Hyde Park, into the search bar.

I hear it through your reaction

Subbed for more Pentatonix!

Thanks 😊

You should check out Acapop! KIDS mashup of somebody to love and Bohemian Rhapsody. It is absolutely amazing

⚡⚡🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥⚡⚡

Why is there about 9 minutes of nothing at the end of this video?

If you don't understand them sitting on the couch driving down the road, go watch Wayne's world.

You need to hear them do it live🤯😊. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Also, I’m pretty sure that Mitch uses he/him pronouns.

Theyre where Out side dont you their breath it was cold and you can see actual trees backround

Check out- Pentatonix making bohemian raphsody on you tube and yes it was out side check out making bohemian rhapsody by pentatonix

But Kevin, though

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h56lmq2frq3DfJ8.html. behind the scene

I COULD TELL YOU. but then?

They pan the same as Queens original.

Um, search KZfaq:⬅ Pentatonix Bohemian Rhapsody Behind the Scenes⬅ You're welcome.🙂 Also, don't sell your viewers short. So what if you've heard their _Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy_ before? Just announce up front that you had, and give your experienced reaction. We might learn something!

They sound nice, but this was Freddie's baby, no one can sing it like he could.

Болтушка))

I’m so confused. When did Mitch change pronouns? I thought it was he/they?

Gender identification has become very prevalent and confusing! It’s ok to get it wrong the first time and be corrected. I need it sometimes..thank you ❤

Im not using pronouns ever!

Queen is the best with the song. Ptx did the song unjustly 😢 .i am very disappointed.