Benson Boone surprises fans in the O2 Arena: Together with Queen guitarist Brian May, he plays “Bohemian Rhapsody” and his hit “Beautiful Things”.
US pop star Benson Boone once again invited Queen guitarist Brian May to the stage at the second of three concerts at London’s O2 Arena on November 4th. Together they performed “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Boone’s global hit “Beautiful Things”. Boone opened the performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on piano before May made a surprise appearance to play the iconic guitar solo. The concert was part of an ongoing collaboration between the two musicians.
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Making amends after Coachella
May took the stage to thunderous applause, whereupon Boone praised the crowd by saying, “This is what an audience should sound like when they see Brian May!” The remark was seen as a clear dig at the Coachella festival audience, which had given May a lukewarm reception during his guest appearance during Boone’s set on April 11.
Mash-up video with Brian May as a rapper
After the show, Boone posted a video on TikTok in which he and May stand back to back to recreate the viral mash-up trend of “What’s Up,” the 4 Non Blondes’ 1993 hit, and Nicki Minaj’s “Beez In The Trap.” Boone moves his lips to the chorus of the pop-grunge classic, while 78-year-old May delivers the Minaj lines: “Bitches ain’t shit and they ain’t saying nothing/A hundred mothafuckas can’t tell me nothing.”
The mash-up remix was first released in August 2025 by TikTok user @dj.auxlord and became a viral phenomenon that fall. Over 700,000 clips used the sound, including contributions from numerous celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.
Boone soon in Germany
After another concert in London this Wednesday, November 5th, Boone’s “American Heart World Tour” will take him to Cologne’s Lanxess Arena on November 7th for a single German show.
May loves surprise gigs
Only on October 17th, May appeared at the finale of the new edition of the musical “We Will Rock You” in Stuttgart and thrilled the audience with his guitar parts in “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It was his 70th guest appearance in the musical; Queen drummer Roger Taylor has been involved 16 times so far.