Boy Overtakes School Talent Show With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Performance

Mar 31, 2021

The world may have just found its new Freddie Mercury. Middle schooler Alexander Penkov gave a thrilling performance of Queen’s notorious “Bohemian Rhapsody” at his school talent show in June of 2019. Since uploading the performance to YouTube, the video has gotten over 9.9 million views.

Alexander stunned his classmates with his over-the-top performance in the most humble setting. His peers sat in chairs that were lined up in long rows across their school’s gymnasium. Some had costumes on, indicating that they were part of the talent show as well. Others were dressed as on-goers in plain jeans and sweatshirts. 

A piano with a microphone attached to it was placed at the front of the audience’s view. Everyone ran around excitedly before the performance started. Alexander, eye-level with his peers, shocked everyone with his confidence.

What was even more shocking was how similar he was to Mercury. He wore a white tank top and black leather pants, just like Mercury used to wear. Alexander also had his dark hair slicked back.

The students grew quiet as Alexander played the first chord on the piano. He began singing as he played the song, allowing himself to melt into it. He found an impressive flow as he blended his strong yet warm voice with the twinkling sound of the piano keys. His fingers moved urgently across the instrument.

As he continued his performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” his fellow classmates watched  in pure amazement. Their faces were awestruck. Alexander’s confidence only grew as the song progressed and his performance escalated to new heights.

Freddie Mercury’s Legacy

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is arguably one of, if not, the most popular songs from the band Queen. Queen is a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. The band’s original lineup consisted of Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor and of course Mercury. The band has continued to reinvent itself and take on a new life, honoring Mercury and his successful career. His legacy continues to live on through the band changing its name to Queen +, highlighting the new vocalists they accumulate, such as former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert.

Mercury’s legacy is also carried on by the love of fans, no matter what walk of life they come from. Even people as young as Alexander have fallen in love with the band and Mercury’s memorable performances.

Freddie had a strong, operatic voice that matched his theatrical performances. He was famous for being a brilliant singer, performer and songwriter. One of his most prestigious accolades includes being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, as well as the other members of Queen’s original lineup.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” was released October 1975 and has been captivating audiences since. The song’s legacy is so connected with the band’s frontman that a recent biopic was named after it. The movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released in 2018, starring Rami Malek as Mercury. The movie tells the story of Queen with a strong attentiveness to Mercury and his breathtaking performances.

Alexander, the star of this more recent video, started his YouTube channel in 2012, but didn’t begin uploading videos until 2019. 

While his channel only has a few videos uploaded, Alexander has acquired quite the fanbase. The young performer has over 18 thousand subscribers and over 10 million video views. He dedicated a video to his followers when he surpassed the 10 thousand subscribers threshold.

It seems like British rock bands are Alexander’s cup of tea. His thoughtful video for his subscribers was a relaxed performance of “All My Loving” by The Beatles. The song was not originally released as a single on British or American airwaves, but received, and continues to receive, plenty of love from the fans.

Alexander showed off even more of his talents during the video by singing in his home studio and playing both bass and guitar for the performance. The video was edited with plenty of cuts to showcase all of Alexander’s talents. One scene showed him singing before switching to a scene of him playing an instrument, with the pattern continuing throughout the song.

That’s not Alexander’s only performance of a song inspired by The Beatles. The young entertainer also uploaded a video of himself singing and playing piano to “Imagine” by John Lennon, whose strong yet soothing vocals helped The Beatles amount to such great success.

While a handful of celebrity singers have covered the song, Alexander’s performance stands out for its simplicity. Lennon was known for being a peace activist and bringing that into his personality and stage persona. Alexander once again captured the mannerisms of an icon as he played piano and sang beautifully along to “Imagine.”

Alexander’s rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” soared through his middle school’s gymnasium. He took plenty of inspiration from Mercury and appeared to be copying some of the singer’s mannerisms. He belted out the notes of the song loudly and confidently. Who knew so much noise could come from such a small person?

His excitement continued to grow throughout the performance to the point he even blew a kiss to the audience, spurring an onset of content laughter. 

Alexander should add pianist to his repertoire. His playing was almost perfect to the point that you would think he had the official backtrack of “Bohemian Rhapsody” playing behind him. His stage persona came easily as he worked to keep his voice strong. His presence captivated everyone who was still happily watching.

As he moved onto the next part of the song, he threw his fist in the air, amplifying the words he was singing. He finished the performance with a melodic piano solo. His fingers moved quickly and professionally across the keys.

After striking the final chord, Alexander’s peers expressed their thrill for the performance through a deafening round of applause. Everyone cheered for him, with some giving the young boy a standing ovation. Alexander even got a high-five and a hug from some of his classmates! 

Alexander conquered an iconic song as he commemorated an idol. He took on a challenge by choosing such a well-known song by a powerhouse of a band. He may have only performed three minutes of the almost six-minute song, but it was full of power and talent.

What was your favorite part of the performance? Do you have any suggestions for the next song Alexander should take a shot at? Let us know, and be sure to ask your friends and family what they think, too.