Shawn Mendes Takes On An Immortal Classic With New 'Under Pressure' Cover

In 1981, Queen and David Bowie teamed up for a song that would become immortal. “Under Pressure” keeps it up and continues to work, nearly 40 years later, because of its simple formula: It’s a duet, however it’s also got one of the primary bass lines ever written and tons of claps and snaps, which make everything as sticky as possible. It’s wonderful.


The song’s a bold one to cover, however I used to rock the hell out to the My Chemical Romance and The Used version, which still absolutely rules. The latest pair to try their hand at it are Shawn Mendes and teddy<3 (the new nickname of Mendes’s longtime collaborator Teddy Geiger), and their version is a spindly, acoustic-led showcase for their powerful and singular voices, particularly Mendes’s.





While teddy<3 leads on the chorus, Mendes’s soaring raspy falsetto is the centerpiece here, even hitting Freddie Mercury’s iconic whistle-high note while in the bridge. Geiger co-wrote Mendes’s biggest hits — including “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” and “Stitches” — and Mendes has spoken rather of her and of their partnership. Nevertheless “Under Pressure” marks the initial time they’ve been on record with each other, and they’re a brilliant match.


The pair made the song for the upcoming Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, as both pointed out on social media. “So honored Shawn invited me to sing with him,” Geiger wrote on Instagram.


Mendes added that they recorded their version “to honor Freddie, and for a cause really close to our hearts, to benefit the Mercury Phoenix Trust in the fight against HIV/AIDS.” All profits from the song will go directly to the agency, which members of Queen founded immediately after Mercury’s death from AIDS in 1991.


Stream their “Under Pressure” cover above, and buy it here. Play it loud for maximum effect up until Bohemian Rhapsody hits theaters on November 2 in the U.S.