Queen + Adam Lambert perform 'We Are The Champions' altered version and give fans 'goosebumps' amid lockdown
Queen and Adam Lambert have taken to the lockdown with a champion spirit. On April 20, they shared a slightly modified version of the Queen smash hit 'We Are the Champions' in an Instagram video made with each of their accounts.
In a message of solidarity and support, the new performance comes with a slight tweak to the titular pronoun from "We" to "You".
In the new split-screen video shot at their individual homes, we see Queen's lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor on each side of Lambert as he leads the vocals in a scaled-down rendition of the iconic song.
The pop singer belts out the powerful chorus, singing it once before changing the "we" to "you" as a subtle nod to fans and gesture of unity in the coronavirus era.
On May's caption for the video, he writes "#youarethechampions — this version is for those of you who like things to be the right way up! Bri."
Fans appreciated the timing of the video as the world faces the coronavirus pandemic together. "I sit here and cry thanks a lot love you all," said a fan. One fan described it as "amazing" while another said, "Wow! Blown away" Another fan wrote, "Even a coronavirus can't stop you."
Fans also shared their love for the performance on Twitter where a fan said it gave them "goosebumps". "You made my night. Thank you for this gift." wrote a fan while one shared their love for the vocals, "Love watching the joy in every note he sings."
May and Lambert have been very active on social since the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Rolling Stone, May sought to make his views on the crisis clear and urged fans to follow social distance rules.
He said, "I feel this might be THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I EVER POSTED" before adding, "There is so much false information out there — people saying the CoronaVirus is not a threat — even that it doesn't exist. And our own Government has failed to act promptly, acting on catastrophically bad advice, which will eventually be the cause of thousands of deaths."
Lambert will also make an appearance on 'Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone', the GLAAD live stream which airs on their YouTube channel and Facebook page on April 26.
The show will highlight the LGBTQ community's response to the pandemic and features guest performances from Billy Eichner, Bebe Rexha, Kathy Griffin, Lilly Singh and more.
Watch Queen perform with Adam Lambert here. Check out our Pandemic Playlist which includes 'We Are the Champions' here.