Freddie Mercury didn’t just make music — he gave people permission to be fearless.
On stage, he turned vulnerability into power and individuality into something worth celebrating.
His influence didn’t end with his last performance. It lives on in artists who dare to feel deeply, perform boldly, and exist unapologetically in front of the world.
Last time, we explored how Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Benson Boone carried pieces of Freddie’s spirit into their own artistry.
Now, it’s time to look closer at a new trio — from Shawn Mendes’ emotional openness to the harmonies of the Backstreet Boys, to Troye Sivan’s raw vulnerability — and discover how Freddie’s legacy continues to shape voices across completely different corners of music.
Shawn Mendes
“Freddie Mercury is one of the most free people ever to watch perform.”
These are the words Shawn Mendes reaches for when he talks about Freddie — words that say more than any technical description ever could.
Shawn Mendes, known for his emotionally open songwriting and heartfelt pop anthems like “Stitches,” “Treat You Better,” and “In My Blood,” has always worn his feelings close to the surface. And for him, watching Freddie was never about flawless technique or perfection. It was about letting go — stepping onto the stage with nothing held back, letting emotion take the lead, and trusting the moment completely. That kind of honesty, the courage to be vulnerable in front of thousands, is something Shawn has carried into his own performances. As Shawn once put it, “It’s a nice thing how he was just out there. And that’s why people loved him.”
That admiration even found its way into Shawn’s visuals. In the music video for “Wonder,” he makes a clear reference to Bohemian Rhapsody, echoing the iconic moment where Freddie plays the piano while lying back — a quiet tribute to the freedom and theatricality that defined Freddie’s presence.
Freddie proved that vulnerability doesn’t make an artist smaller.
It makes them powerful enough to fill stadiums.
Backstreet Boys
Formed in the early 1990s, the Backstreet Boys became one of the most successful pop groups in music history. Known for songs like “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, they helped define an entire era of pop music built on connection, feeling, and shared emotion.
When the Backstreet Boys talk about Queen, they don’t focus on just one thing — they talk about everything.
Music, visuals, wardrobe, stage presence, harmonies — the whole thing.
They’ve openly said that Queen showed them how all parts of a performance matter, not just the songs. For a boy band that built its legacy on vocals, choreography, and big moments, Freddie’s blueprint made total sense.
Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan is a pop artist known for turning personal stories into powerful songs. With tracks like “Youth,” “My My My!” and “Rush,” he built a career on emotional honesty, vulnerability, and fearless self-expression — never hiding who he is or how he feels.
That freedom is something Troye has openly credited to Freddie Mercury. He has thanked Freddie for showing the world that artists don’t have to fit into neat categories, and for proving that music can be bold, fluid, and unapologetically personal. In a heartfelt message, Troye once said:
Thank you for the music. You are an absolutely insane talent. You are forever an inspiration to me and countless other people.
Queen’s music — and Freddie himself — showed that genres, identities, and expectations are meant to be challenged. Troye carried that lesson into his own work, blending pop with deeply personal storytelling and confidence in who he is.
Freddie didn’t just open doors.
He removed the walls.
Still echoing
From boy bands to metal legends, from soft-spoken pop stars to fearless performers, Freddie’s influence keeps resurfacing in unexpected places.
Because he didn’t teach artists what to be.
He taught them how to be themselves.
And this is just the beginning.
Next up: more artists, more stories, more proof that Freddie never really left the stage.
Sources
iHeartRadio. (2018). Shawn Mendes, Luke Bryan, Backstreet Boys & More Share Tributes To Queen [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi-RIeykOmo
Random Edits. (2020). Shawn Mendes reference of Freddie Mercury in Wonder Music Video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXiyZhYfvuw