Biggest Bohemian Rhapsody mystery solved

Did he or didn’t he? One of the biggest mysteries around blockbuster Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been answered.

With two musically focused features up for Best Picture, we’re looking at a melodic Oscars race come Monday.

But while it’s clear that Lady Gaga has been the one hitting all those elaborate high notes, it’s less clear what’s going on with the vocals in another major film. Is Rami Malek really singing Freddie Mercury’s parts in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody?

Is Rami Malek singing in Bohemian Rhapsody?

Rami Malek nailed it as Freddie Mercury. Picture: Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox via AP

Malek may have had Mercury’s look and moves down, but sadly that’s it. Though he did one hell of a lip-synching job the actor is not the one singing in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Yes, Malek has a dead-on Mercury impression, but it’s not too surprising that he doesn’t possess the late singer’s once-in-a-lifetime vocal range. Mercury continues to be hailed for his unique four-octave vocal range. The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey once remembered Mercury by saying he was “The best virtuoso rock ‘n’ roll singer of all time. He could sing anything in any style.”

So, who did the vocals in Bohemian Rhapsody?

Most of the singing from the film came from Mercury himself. According to an interview with Rolling Stone, Bohemian Rhapsody mashed together studio recordings of Mercury with singer Marc Martel. The Canadian Christian rock singer is know for having an eerily perfect Mercury impression. He even kind of looks like the late mega star. You can check out his one-take Bohemian Rhapsody above.

How good is Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury impression?

Rami Malek …

… and the real thing.

Pretty damn good. To master the role, Malek spent several intense sessions with a movement coach and learned to talk with prosthetic teeth. But Malek didn’t stop there. He also had sessions with an accent coach, took singing and piano lessons, and studied Mercury’s onstage muse, Liza Minnelli. The voice may not be his, but that Golden Globe-winning performance is all Malek.

This story originally appeared on Decider and is republished here with permission.