Brian May of Queen has hit out at Yungblud critics, saying his late bandmate Freddie Mercury faced “the same kind of derision.”
Queen guitarist Brian May has taken to Instagram to draw comparisons between Freddie Mercury and Yungblud. Yesterday (December 21), May re-shared Yungblud’s cover of the Queen classic We Are The Champions, writing that the singer’s take on the 1977 original “makes you go ‘WOW’”. May went on to say that the “very classy” Yungblud cover made him “press that ‘follow’ button.”
Later in the post, May went on to address Yungblud’s critics, who he said were filling the comments section with detractions. He described the negative response as “an eye-opener for me”, before recalling the similar treatment faced by his late bandmate and Queen frontman. “I remember so clearly the same kind of derision being poured on Freddie when we started out as Queen,” May wrote.
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He continued: “As soon as I see someone who can inspire such strong reactions – positive and negative – I’m sure this person is a star performer.” May concluded the post by sarcastically inviting Yungblud critics to “carry on kicking” if it makes them “feel better”, before writing that “the rest of us will keep an open mind.” It marks the latest instance of a rock legend showering praise on the pop-punk singer.
In June, Sir Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones gifted Yungblud with a Buddy Holly-inspired guitar, after inviting the singer to one of the band’s tour stops in Liverpool. The gift came after Jagger had applauded Yungblud’s work, saying he possesses “that kind of post-punk vibe [that] makes me think there is still a bit of life in rock and roll.” Jagger then welcomed Yungblud into the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, for which he is an ambassador.
It marks the latest in a string of covers released by Yungblud of late. In 2021, the singer took on fellow legend David Bowie for a rendition of the latter’s smash hit Life On Mars?, as part of a virtual tribute concert in March. Prior to that, he teamed up with Aussie band The Chats for a mash-up of their respective songs Weird! and Smoko. Jagger, meanwhile, was spotted at a local pub in London earlier this week.
