Queen Release ‘Machines (Or Back To Humans)’ As Digital Single

Rock legends Queen recently released the song “Machines (Or Back To Humans)” as a digital single.

The jaw-dropping show opener of The Rhapsody Tour is available at all major digital music services.

In the opening of the new ‘Rhapsody’ production, the audience hears Freddie Mercury and Brian May‘s duetting lead vocals from behind, raising the alarm that The Machines are about to take over.

Set against this, the robotic voices are provided by Roger Taylor‘s vocoded vocals advocating the Machines’ point of view. The theme of this conflict bursts back in at various points later in the set.

The “Machines” song was originally co-written by Brian May and Roger Taylor almost 40 years ago.

An advocate of the new theme, May says, “The Robot Horde provide a narrative thread to our new show. In these days of Artificial Intelligence beginning to invade our whole lives, these mechanical guys personify Robotic Insurgence. In our still-developing current show, Back to Humans – is the soundtrack to us as humans reclaiming our control”.

Adds Taylor, “Machines” was born out of the electronica we originally explored on ‘Radio Ga Ga’ to create this sense of the battle between the electric side and the human side. Now at a time when it’s increasingly becoming a machines world and we’re all just trying to keep up, we felt it the perfect time to revive this idea of basically going back to humans.”

“Machines (Or Back To Humans)” has been reintroduced to the Queen setlist for the band’s current U.S. tour.

(Photo: Queen Productions Ltd.)