Shawn Mendes, the sweetest boy in pop music, has released an acoustic cover of the Queen and David Bowie classic “Under Pressure.” Teddy Geiger, Mendes’ friend and songwriting partner, lends her vocals for the Bowie part, and Mendes shows off his impressive falsetto singing Freddie Mercury. Mendes and Geiger sound great together, and much like the original song, the singers’ playfulness comes across in the song. Since Mendes and Geiger are taking it acoustic, their version of “Under Pressure” sounds like two friends jamming — two friends who just happen to have incredible voices. Stodgy old music farts might take issue with former Vine star Mendes singing such a classic, but as soon as they hear Mendes and Geiger hit that key change toward the end of the song, they’ll be won over. Mendes’ voice is the real deal.
Proceeds from the cover also go toward a good cause. Mendes, Universal Music Group, and Queen are donating net profits from the song to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an organization to help the global fight against HIV/AIDS. “I am so honored to be able to support the amazing legacy of Freddie and Queen by doing a cover of one of my favorite songs, ‘Under Pressure.’ It was so exciting to be able to do this with close collaborator and one of my best friends, Teddy Geiger, for a cause that is very close to our hearts,” Mendes said.
Listen to Shawn Mendes and Teddy Geiger’s cover of “Under Pressure” above.
