Apparently, Brian May has established a "reputation" in the international music press. A review of Mika's CD "Life in Cartoon Motion" in Germany's biggest magazine "Der Stern" in which Mika is celebrated as a huge talent and successor of Freddie Mercury starts as follows:
"With this text I have to be careful. After all, I do not want to be called a "grubby, spotty wanker". On the global internet. By Brian May of all people, the legend and former Queen guitarist. This is what happened to music journalist Alexis Petridis. The reason: he wrote a negative review of a CD in the British newspaper The Guardian. It was not a Brian May CD. It was not a new "Best Of Queen" CD, either. It was about Mika. Brian May is his most famous fan...."
later in the review:
"do we have to fear that Brian May hits us on the head with his old heavy Queen Hardrock guitar? Luckily not" (follows a very enthusiastic review)
The "Stern" sells over 1 million copies each week.