A great modern interpretation of one of Freddie’s most renowned songs.
From straight-up rockers to timeless ballads and ambitious, groundbreaking anthems that broke all the rules, the best Queen songs redefined rock music.
Conquering rock, the band went on to show their musical versatility in the ballad ‘Love of My Life’, where Queen’s lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury straddles back from Rock and performs this serenading song in a display of his unimaginable vocal prowess.
Having created music that will most certainly live forever, Queen’s allurement truly endures with many taking on the task of covering the ballad. Arriving today, Australian singer-songwriter Carl De Villa has released his rendition of the irreplaceable ‘Love of My Life’, one that is so masterful it comes to life all on its own.
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A testament to his confidence and genuine talent, Carl does the ballad justice without attempting to replicate what’s already there, having being inspired by Freddie Mercury his entire life. Instead, he simply breathes his voice, passion and soul into his performance, creating an unmissable listening experience whether you’re a Queen fan or not.
“To be honest, this is a song that I have loved for almost my whole life. Freddy Mercury is obviously a huge icon and influence for me, and I just find this song incredibly moving and a joy to perform so wanted to put my own spin on it,” Carl explains.
“I’m sure I will get a lot of feedback from Freddy Mercury and Queen fans but I wanted to live the moment of that song as if he was still alive and reimagine it in a dark, thrilling anthemic way.”
Armed with a voice of awe-inspiring force coupled with impeccable songwriting abilities, Carl has delivered a dark and funky rendition of the classic ballad. Drawing you in from the very first piano chord, it’s immediately clear that this track goes beyond just performing a faithful rendition of someone’s else’s work.
Championed by Carl’s deep resonating voice, beguiling powerful melodies and an ethereal soundscape, you’re instead left hanging on his every word throughout the reimagined three-minute track, even though you’re entirely familiar with the original.
“It was a vision I’ve had for the song for a long time, and one that was a lot of fun, and hard work, to pull together.
“I love these dark but epic renditions of rock songs like this and was influenced by soundtracks such as like Shades of Grey, Candyman, and The Last Witch Hunter all of which featured songs like this.”
With the help of esteemed Sydney-based producer Michael Tan of Kings X Studio, orchestral instrumentation, earth-shattering harmonies and clever additional synth textures help drive the song, resulting in haunting layers of sonics and an unbelievably powerful piece of work. Tan’s production has expertly given a new-age modern edge to a timeless classic and it more than holds its own.
“Michael Tan brought my vision to life and this song is also his favourite Queen song and I think it would be best to work with someone passionate about the song. He’s worked with big artists like Daryl Braithwaite, Dami I’m, and Shannon Noll to name a few, so he brings a wealth of experience and charisma to the table.”
Capitalising on ballad driven basics and Freddie Mercury’s sleeve wearing heartbeats of his songwriting, and heavy influence of 80s pop-rock, Carl De Villa takes nods to the likes of Prince, Sam Smith, Adele, and of course Queen, presenting it all in a baroque, dark and starkly romantic form that honours the original.
“There’s always hesitation when emerging artists do a rendition of someone big. I guess it’s more about self-interpretation and how the audience would accept that new style or way of doing it. It was always in the back of my mind that this was not an improvement on Freddy Mercury’s masterpiece but a different take, filled with the respect it rightly deserves.”
A defining addition to his discography, ‘Love of My Life’ is Carl’s first release of 2021 and the follow up to his debut album, War Cry. Released in November 2020, the album channelled the pop songcraft of Sam Smith and Bruno Mars while expertly exploring indie-pop, rock, gospel and soul sounds.
“I would still want to release more original songs and am very keen to also work with producers out there who could deliver the visions. Every release is different when you’re doing it independently. My recipe for releasing this track is different from when I released my debut album, War Cry and I think I learned from that experience.”
One of the greatest singalongs ever, Freddie Mercury’s emotional love song, taken from the classic 1975 album A Night At The Opera, is impossible to replicate – and let’s face it, it doesn’t need to be. What Carl De Villa has done however is make this ballad his own, with his own signature flair and emotion.
Haunting and innovative, this is a great modern interpretation of one of Freddie’s most renowned songs.
Listen to ‘Love of My Life’ here and keep up with the latest from Carl De Villa here.
