Tag: freddie mercury

Spotify Has the Pawfect Playlist for You And Your Pet

January 15, 2020

There is something uniquely special about the relationship we humans have with our pets—it’s one filled with unconditional love, licks, snuggles, and cuddles. It’s hard to put into words the emotion these animals give us—other than pure happiness. So it’s only natural that we want to make them feel good, too, and many pet owners believe they do exactly that with music. 

We dug our paws into the subject and conducted a study on how pet owners use music with their pets. We found that 71% of pet owners surveyed play music for their pets, and that’s not all. Check out the rest of the furry (read: fun) facts we unearthed from pet owners in five countries across the globe.

Scary is Nothing to Be Afraid of at Spotify’s Artist-Inspired NYC Costume Pop Up

October 29, 2019

This Halloween, step beyond trick-or-treating—and out of your comfort zone. Dare to listen to some of the artists who have endeavored to push culture forward in the pursuit of their art, whether via provocative on-stage performances, music videos, or their uncompromising style. 

At Spotify’s Stay Scary pop-up this past weekend, we celebrated artists who have done just that by inviting music fans to check out—and even take home—costumes inspired by artists like Billie Eilish, Freddie Mercury, Lil Nas X and Madonna at a thrilling immersive pop-up in New York’s Soho neighborhood.

The costume accessories included an Eilish crown adorned with spiders, similar to the one featured in the singer’s “you should see me in a crown” music video, and the Lil Nas X rhinestone-accented jacket patch seen in his “Old Town Road” music video.

Also available was Trippie Redd’s iconic fang grillz and as well as a replica of the live python Britney Spears famously draped around her shoulders during her 2001 MTV VMA’s performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.”

Queen Will, Queen Will, Rock You (and Your Kids, and Their Kids …)

January 3, 2019

Let’s say you were a twenty-something Londoner in 1985, and lucky enough to score a ticket to Live Aid at Wembley Stadium on July 13. There you witnessed what’s considered one of the greatest-ever rock performances: Queen’s incredible 21-minute set. Today, as you stream the soundtrack from the Golden Globe-winning Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, you’re embracing more than nostalgia—you’re helping to preserve Queen’s legacy. Not that the band needs much help.  

On Spotify, Queen is more popular than ever—not only among baby boomers and Gen Xers, but with millennials, too. Since the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody film, streams of Queen songs on Spotify have surged 333 percent, with 70 percent of those listeners under the age of 35. Last month, Queen enjoyed a two-week run as the No. 1 global artist on Spotify—and when they “dropped” in the rankings to No. 3, the group remained in good company behind 6ix9ine and Ariana Grande.

What’s Queen’s secret to cultural relevance, seemingly set on repeat? Two words: “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The first time “Bohemian Rhapsody” nearly topped the charts, in 1992, was when the song reached the No. 2 spot after Mike Myers and Dana Carvey lip-synced the operatic section in Wayne’s World—the ranking was higher than the No. 9 spot the song peaked at during the original release in 1976. Today, Wayne and Garth remain in our collective memory: After the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody film, streams of the Wayne’s World soundtrack were up 361 percent—perhaps thanks to Myers’ cameo in the biopic.

In 2009, the song hit No. 2 on the first-ever karaoke chart. Guardian music critic Tom Service explained at the time that the song’s appeal was the result of a classic composer’s trick that makes “Bohemian Rhapsody” work across several different styles, from ballad to hard rock, to reflective conclusion. “Bohemian Rhapsody is … hugely demanding as a test of anyone’s vocal brilliance, let alone the boozed-up denizens of karaoke-dom all over the country,” Service said. “[I]t’s fun to fail at ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’”

But even when “Bohemian Rhapsody” is on hiatus from the zeitgeist, Queen remains a staple of streaming classic rock among all music lovers, regardless of age. From 2010 to July of 2018 (before the trailer for the film was released), Queen held the spot of top catalog artist on Spotify.

Queen remains popular among listeners under 35 because of their relevance in pop culture; the band has definitively secured its place in the immortal canon of rock. And “Bohemian Rhapsody” in particular is enjoying a pronounced resurgence in 2018 for the same reason it’s always come roaring back into the spotlight: It’s as dynamic as it is fun.

Despite the hundreds of thousands of songs and artists available on Spotify, no track comes close to resembling “Rhapsody”—either as a whole or in parts. It has a little something for everyone, at any point in their lives—even if they were born well after July 13, 1985.

Stream the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack below.

Update, Jan 7, 2019: This post now includes mention that Bohemian Rhapsody won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Drama. 

5 Artists Rocked By Freddie Mercury, the Flamboyant King of Queen

October 19, 2018

He captivated the crowd in a catsuit, hitting a free and unpredictable vibrato. A master of reinvention and a flamboyant front man, Freddie Mercury’s operatic displays were part concert, part theatre, part fashion show. Fans never tired of watching the king of Queen kick, jump, and prance across an arena, but it was his powerful yet deeply sensitive performance style—from soft piano ballads to wild, aerobic onstage antics—that touched them to their core.

Queen’s larger-than-life rock ’n’ roll has been revered and imitated for generations, and now, with the film Bohemian Rhapsody debuting October 24, we get a more intimate look at Mercury’s lasting influence as a thrilling and dynamic rock singer. The new biopic digs deep into the life of the late musician, portrayed by Rami Malek, and recreates his electric stage presence (including Queen’s iconic set at Live Aid in 1985).

Mercury’s star power was apparent from the start. Beginning with the release of its self-titled debut in 1973, Queen developed their own distinctly campy, vaguely classical style, combining elements of prog rock, glam rock, and heavy metal. No matter the genre, Mercury’s magnetic charisma and musical prowess won over fans, critics, and contemporaries. If not for his untimely death in 1991 Queen could have continued, but Mercury’s legacy lives on. See how he’s rocked us all: In honor of Bohemian Rhapsody and as a tribute to music royalty, take a look at five artists who’ve bowed down to the greatness that was—and continues to be—Freddie Mercury and Queen.

Lady Gaga

Stefanie Joanne Germanotta famously took her stage name from the song “Radio Ga Ga,” and throughout her career, she’s never forgotten her devotion to Queen; Lady Gaga has repeatedly borrowed from the Freddie Mercury playbook with elaborate outfits (meat dress, anyone?) and theatrical antics both onstage and off. In 2009, she described her favorite Freddie performance in Rolling Stone. “Freddie created this image of himself as rock royalty,” she explained. “That performance screams, ‘Watch me! I’m a legend!’”

Katy Perry

Like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry is a pop star who loves drama—from colorful costumes to bold, unafraid lyrics, she’s a singer who loves to make a splash. “Queen’s track ‘Killer Queen’ made me discover music and helped me come into my own at the age of 15,” she once told Cosmopolitan. “The way Freddie Mercury delivered his lyrics just made me feel like a confident woman; I’d say his fingerprint is all over me in general.”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Early 2000s indie rock goddess Karen O and Yeah Yeah Yeahs weren’t exactly subtle. The band has been on hiatus since 2013, but few can forget Karen’s onstage attire, which was often daring, dramatic, and androgynous in style. Similarly, her vocals could be big and bold one moment, quiet and delicate the next. Listen to a song like “Maps,” with its hard-rocking, sentimental theatrics, for proof of Freddie Mercury’s influence.

Metallica

While Queen combined various genres of music, hard rock—with its over-the-top instrumentation and high drama—was always at the heart of their style. Metallica, one of the biggest metal bands in the world, owes a lot to the mainstream path paved by Queen in the ’70s and ’80s. In addition to their many operatic stage shows (featuring lasers and multi-day setups), Metallica is known for their wild cover of Queen’s 1974 metal-esque song “Stone Cold Crazy.”

Dave Grohl

As drummer of Nirvana and guitarist of Foo Fighters, two of the biggest rock bands ever, Dave Grohl knows what it’s like to perform for giant crowds. In his expert opinion, though, Freddie Mercury did it better than anyone else. “Every band should study Queen at Live Aid,” he told NPR. “I consider [Mercury] the greatest front man of all time.”

While you wait for Bohemian Rhapsody to hit theaters, stream the film’s thrilling, just-released soundtrack below.