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: 1.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), 2. Obviously the flashlights being used to mimic the lighting on the operatic part of the original video, 3. The four shooting stars to represent the four members of Queen, as well as acknowledge the fact that Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist, 4. The overhead shot of them lying on the couch is to represent the Sheer Heart Attack album cover. 5. 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. 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. 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! The link is: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h56lmq2frq3DfJ8.html 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.

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 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."

I remember watching Queen perform this in 1975 for the first time :-) at the age of 9 loved it ever since !! Freddie Mercury would have loved this performance :-)

Queen does that right-left pan in their video too - and actually the megaphone is just a prop - Mitch makes exactly the same sound with his voice in concert without it

Great reaction! These PTX songs are awesome!

Keep doing Pentatonix, they have so many amazing videos…thanks for getting back to them…

Great reaction and love the Data/Spot shirt

I always enjoy your PTX reactions. I also loved your t-shirt.

The algorithm and notifications failed me, I’m seeing this two days after it was posted. Better late than never though.

1st; you had me at Data on the shirt(sorry nerded out there) LOL. Just amazingly talented group of people. No instruments; blows me away.

Thanks for this. One of my PTX favorites, along with a dozen others lol Please listen to "Can you feel the love tonight.

Well that was worth the release from jail! That was excellent. I certainly wasn't expecting the guitar solo! What a great cover. I think I prefer Pentatonix to Home Free. I think mainly because of the more varied songs they do.

There’s a great behind the scenes video showing how they made it.

If not their best, this is at LEAST top 3. I regularly re-listen to the official version (on top of listening to any reactor that does this). It is probably the best "cover" I have heard of any song by any a cappella (or other) group). Made it their own, but kept very true to Queen. This is almost a "reverent" cover. Great reaction, Red!! No surprise there!

Pentatonix does wonderful Christmas music but also covers all genres. You should check out and Say Something that feature Kirstin in lead vocals and Run Along a quirky fun song. You can see them rap in Can't Hold Us and Problem. They also sang in Jaoanese and French! There is nothing they cannot do!

My goodness! You are so beautiful! This song always takes me back to when my friends and I were on the couch, singing and rocking out, in the garage. BTW, I had a redhead girlfriend, at the time, who looks very much like you, to this day. You could always tell it was me, I was the redhead on air guitar. ❤

PTX--best air band ever!

Pentatonix does a great version of "Mad World," I bet you'd like. It was originally done by Tears for Fears and also made popular by Gary Jules in the movie Donnie Darko. The Pentatonix version really does the song justice.

Great reaction! I really love PTX. You know who I also love is Lucy Thomas. You should really check out Lucy singing "Memory" or anything else for that matter!

The megaphone was only a prop. Mitch does the guitar part without it at live shows.

Recommend their cover of The Prayer.

Three songs I was hesitant to listen to was Hallelujah, The Prayer, and Bohemian Rhapsody. My favorites were always the versions that I heard. Hallelujah blew me away. The Prayer original will always be my favorite just like Bohemian Rhapsody but Pentatonix's versions will always come in at a very close second. I was blown away by how well they covered the songs. When people say they don't do covers they do upgrades is an understatement.

That left-right mix mirrors the original video.

This is GOOD !!! Believe it or not, Zack Brown Band did this song in their Atlanta show, opening for Kenny Chesney. So, glad I was there. World class musicians.

I've heard that couch pile referred to as a "cuddle puddle" by a reactor here on KZfaq so you'll know what to call it next time.

Say hallo to Data🖖

React to "Pentatonix - Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video)"

so much wash... sad where Music is today.

The song does not belong to them. I did not like them singing this song. They ruined this song. I am sorry Redheaded Neighbor THAT IS MY OPINION.

this is one of only a few queen covers that i will listen to As a Huge queen fan they have to be special for me to tolerate a cover of any queen song as for me the originals are masterpieces to begin with but this cover certainly dose the original justice and you know freddy would love this.