When the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ music video broke the record by receiving one billion views on YouTube, the video streaming platform, along with Queen and Universal Music Group and Hollywood Records decided to celebrate in a global way.
The plan? To recreate 3 of the band’s classic hits, except this time it would be will fan submissions and the remaining Queen members. The opening cast call for this first went out in August, to inspire fans to get creative and show their love for the iconic band. A micro-site was created with instructions about how fans can become part of this. Fans were urged to perform ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ themselves at home, while ‘A New Kind of Magic’ was based on a visual art also submitted by fans. Lastly, the new ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ video consisted of moves created by choreographer Polly Bennett, the artist also responsible for training Rami Malek as he reprised the role of Freddie Mercury.
More than 10,000 fans from over 120 countries participated to create the 3 videos. “It’s one of the most rewarding things that can happen to an artist of any kind: to see that our work has inspired folk all around the world to create their own performances and visual art is a thrill,” said Queen’s lead guitarist Brian May. “And the diversity of their vision is astonishing. Big thanks to everyone who participated.”
Have a look:
