Jacob Collier really knows how to work a crowd! The jazz upstart created a magical moment at the Coliseu de Lisboa in Portugal when he got the whole crowd singing as one on Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Collier kicked off the performance on his Djesse World Tour with a heavenly vocal melody and synth part and then let the audience finish the opening line. He then kicked into the main part of the song with a bright piano melody and delivered Freddie Mercury’s iconic lyrics.
Collier skillfully turned Queen’s piano rock number into a solo piano ballad, adding a touch of jazz sophistication. The big moment came in the bridge where the English singer-songwriter walked to the front of the stage and started conducting the audience as one giant choir. I’m sure The Music Man readers can agree that the sound of an entire auditorium singing the main hook together as Collier improvised over the top gives off a spiritual vibe.
Collier uploaded the Lisbon performance of “Somebody to Love” on September 6, 2022, and it has since gained 3.6 million views. Audiences watching at home were vibing big time to the performance, and added comments such as “One of the most unique things about Jacob is his ability to connect and engage with his audience. It’s so great that he’s so humble and that he respects us as much as we respect him” and “Jacob just waves his hand and the crowd comes in like a top-notch choir. Absolute scenes.”
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Collier created a number of hit performances while on the road for The Djesse World Tour. Fifteen minutes before showtime in Stockholm, Sweden, the Englishman spontaneously asked American singer Alita Moses to join him on a cover of Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” Despite the completely unrehearsed nature of the cover, the pair knocked it out of the park, with a little help from the audience choir, of course!
Jacob Collier is a 30-year-old singer-songwriter who was born on August 2, 1994, in London, England. He initially came to public attention after his split-screen covers of hit songs on YouTube, such as Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing,” went viral in 2013. The English talent built on his online success to sign with Membran and later Hajanga and Geffen Records. Collier subsequently scored two US number one hits on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart with his debut and sophomore albums, In My Room and Djesse Vol. 1.