Moonic Productions star, Otu, proved that even the cheesiest pop songs can be turned into a heavy metal hit when he covered ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” in the style of Iron Maiden. But, as if that wasn’t enough to wow the masses over on YouTube, Otu performed every single instrument himself, while serving vocals that sound exactly like Maiden’s legendary frontman, Bruce Dickinson.
Music Man readers can watch the magic and the mayhem unfold in the viral video below—Otu’s mind-blowing, genre-twisting cover has already amassed more than 1.2 million views to date!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlM5b39QU_s%20
Otu doesn’t simply cover the song with electric guitars, drums, and bass. He warps ABBA’s iconic riffs to sound just like an Iron Maiden classic, instantly winning over heavy metal fans by tapping into the grooves of the band’s most legendary era – their ‘80s heyday. His blissfully toned guitar harmonies add an instant Maiden-like spin to ABBA’s song, before chucking in an extra riff to flesh out the uncanny new vibe.
It’s as Otu unleashes his show-stopping vocals that his cover truly takes wing. He melds his vocal style to perfectly match Bruce Dickinson’s voice, to the point where it’s almost spooky, all whilst adding some classic heavy metal comedy to his performance by swinging his mic cable around his home studio, dancing like the ladies of ABBA, and even twirling an all-black bandshirt in circles as if he’s playing a sold-out stadium show.
Otu amps up the original pace of ABBA’s verses, welcoming fire and chaos into the usually happy-go-lucky song, before glitzing the chorus with some hard-hitting rock rhythms and performing with an aura of vengeance. It’s completely over the top, from Otu’s rock god facial expressions to the ceaseless drive he adds to the soft pop track, but it’s the pinnacle of what makes heavy metal, and its fans, so undeniably iconic.
Also, can we take a moment to praise how Otu perfects every instrument of his one-man-band cover, while arranging, mixing, mastering, and performing like a stage and songwriting legend in the making? Otu is clearly an all-round gem, and we can’t spare enough love for this creative.
This isn’t the only genre-twisting, pop-meets-metal cover Otu has blessed YouTube with, by the way. While Music Man readers can check out his complementary ‘“Don’t Stop Me Now” in the style of Iron Maiden’ in our second video above, the Finnish musician has also covered “Genie In A Bottle” in the style of Metallica, Frozen’s “Let It Go” in the style of Pearl Jam, and “Hey Jude” in the style of Jimi Hendrix, amongst countless others, all featured on Moonic Productions’ YouTube channel!
Otu’s uncanny ABBA-to-Iron Maiden transformation proves his arranging, multi-instrumentalist and vocal chops are something to behold. Whether you came for the riff wizardry or the Dickinson-like vocals, this viral clip is a must-watch. Want to explore more of Otu and Moonic Productions? Check the useful links below to watch, follow and dig deeper.