Queen & David Bowie, Under Pressure | Dazzling Duets

In the 29^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Queen and David Bowie collaborate on the beloved rock classic, “Under Pressure.” 

Sometimes, two is better than one! That is the case when it comes to Dazzling Duets! On Dazzling Duets, we highlight ear-catching songs performed by two artists collaborating. These duets can be from any musical style, making Dazzling Duets a flexible, versatile column on The Musical Hype. In the 29^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Queen and David Bowie collaborate on “Under Pressure”.  Let the dazzle begin!

Sooo, what happens when an iconic, Grammy-nominated band, Queen – Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Brian May, and Roger Taylor – and an iconic, Grammy-winning solo musician, David Bowie, collaborate on one track? Simply put, an iconic, once-in-a-lifetime collaboration.  The fruits of Mercury and Bowie’s labor are “Under Pressure”, the 11^th track from Queen’s 1982 album, Hot Space. Queen and Bowie wrote and produced “Under Pressure.” A top 40 pop hit, “Pressure” peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2022, the single was certified multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.  A great song deserves to be highly decorated!

There is a lot to sink one’s teeth into when it comes to “Under Pressure.” Among the first things that stand out about the iconic Freddie Mercury/David Bowie duet is the bass line: 1 & 2 & a 3 &… John Deacon did his big one on the low end! One of the truly tuneful anchors ⚓️, had “Under Pressure” offered nothing else substantial, Deacon’s iconic, once-in-a-lifetime bass line would be sufficient. Beyond the bass, “Under Pressure” thrives on its utterly infectious groove.  Of course, the stars of the show are our singing duo, Mercury and Bowie.  Mercury is the first voice heard, memorably scatting.  The irresistible scatting recurs throughout.  The first substantial vocals belong to Bowie with the unforgettable, pressure-filled lyrics: “Pressure / Pushing down on me / Pressing down on you / No man ask for.” Mercury enters the mix in the second half of the first verse, which is also pressure-laden. “Under pressure,” he sings, and continues, “That burns a building down / Splits a family in two.” Following a refrain of scatting, Bowie helms most of the high-pressure chorus, with one line courtesy of Freddie:

“It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about

Watching some good friends screaming, ‘Let me out.’

Pray tomorrow gets me higher

Pressure on people, people on streets.”

Ooh-wee! Freddie performs the brief second verse, showing off his falsetto (“These are the days, it never rains, but it pours”), followed by an interlude of scatting (Mercury) and emphasis (“People on streets” by Bowie). Following another intriguing chorus, Bowie primarily performs the bridge (“Keep coming up with love, but it’s so slashed and torn”), with one inquiring contribution from Mercury (“Why, why, why?”). Mercury performs the third and final verse (“Why can’t we give love that one more chance”), while Bowie performs the powerful, socially conscious outro (“‘Cause love’s such an old-fashioned word / And love dares you to care for / The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night”). No extensive analysis is necessary to know that “Under Pressure” is a special song.  Queen and David Bowie put their foot into this one.  Honestly, isn’t it hard to believe it wasn’t a more substantial pop hit? The earworm of a bass line, infectious scatting, and strong vocal performance by Bowie and Mercury make “Pressure” the sugar, honey, iced tea!

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Queen » Hot Space » Hollywood Records, Inc. » 1982

Queen & David Bowie, Under Pressure: Dazzling Duets No. 29 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Hollywood Records, Inc.; cottonbro studio, Sachith Ravishka Kodikara from Pexels; andresilva5, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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