It’s amazing isn’t it? Scott who sang lead is actually a baritone, but his range is so big he can pop out a beautiful falsetto and also cover the bass line when the bass is singing lead (which didn’t happen in this song, to be clear), Mitch, the high tenor has a truly uniquely beautiful high range. All of them can and have done solo projects while still making Pentatonix their main gig. It’s hard to believe, because they are so solid already, that this was only their 4th performance as Pentatonix. Scott, Mitch and Kirstin sang together in high school, but Avi and Kevin were added and only had a day to practice before the Sing Off auditions. With one change (Avi leaving to be replaced by Matt in 2017) the band is still going strong. Stronger than ever, really. Welcome to PTX! Fantastic reaction!
Thank you! I'm hearing a lot about (and I'm still baffled by) their interchangeability between parts - excited to explore their repertoire and see how they put it to use!
@@SirHairless For a few years, approx. 2013 - 2016, Scott and Mitch had a side gig called Superfruit, where they had a weekly vlog, and put out an EP and even did a bit of touring - between PTX tours, of course. A couple of great music videos they did are Superfruit Empire Medley, Superfruit Defying Gravity. Either of those will show both of their amazing ranges. If you want to hear all 5 of them sing solo parts, including the beatboxer, Kevin, check out their cover of John Lennon's Imagine. The harmony in that one is breath-taking.
They have 3 Grammys, a star on Hollywood walk of Fame , gold records ,endless soldout world tours and it all started here ❤️❤️👀🔥 They were kids here and still brilliant
What you need to realize, is that Pentatonix changed the music industry. To give you an example, the Grammy's had to literally create a new category for them , because their video "Daft Punk" (for wich they only had a budget of about 400$) had so much views and momentum, that the Academy couldn't ignore it. They are also the first and only acapella group to have their Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
@@camillep3631 they actually have won 3: 1 for the arrangements, 1 for best acapella group or performance, and another for their collaboration with Dolly Parton for their version of Jolene.
@@johnvermette9466 their first 2 were both for the arrangement and it really burns my cookies they didn't get one for Evergreen or Holidays Around the World
@@johnvermette9466 Pentatonix picked up their first career GRAMMY for Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella for "Daft Punk" for 2014. The group won the same category the next year for "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy." Then for performance of Jolene with the QUEEN Dolly
@@camillep3631 thank you for the precisons. In either case, the category "Best arrangements, Instrumental or Acapella" was mainly created because of PTX! They were becoming Undeniables!
Pentatonix They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that. The founding members are:- Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”. Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease); Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese). Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on RUclips, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings. Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma. While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition. They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his RUclips videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing". Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours! They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on RUclips), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building. But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records. Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on RUclips, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live. Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers. But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label. They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys. Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry. Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group. If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently. It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch ruclips.net/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/видео.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D. After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre. Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/ Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work. Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place. They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. No dates YET! They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star! They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.
Wow, thanks Alan for this! What a great read of information on this (I'm sure I'll discover) astounding group. Really, really interesting and cool to know. How remarkable that Scott, Kirstie and Mitch grew up together and are all so musically gifted, even insofar as ranges (because it's not everyday someone has such a big range). And Kevin arriving in LA the day before the audition?! 😂 And a star on the Hollywood walk of fame? Wow! I'm gonna watch the compilation you linked now so I'm better-placed for my future Pentatonix reactions.
@@Gwennedd I love watching other people discover ptx for the first time and I swear i have come across Alan and his amazing summary about four times now. Im glad one pentaholic is on top of it
Best info ever, Alan, but you'll have to update -- Grammy nominations came out yesterday They are up for a fifth time for last year's album Holidays Around the World in Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. 🙂
This performance was where they distanced themselves from the other teams. Their previous performances were good, but this was our first glimpse of what Pentatonix would become.
New subscriber, here’s hoping you choose to discover more and more Pentatonix. This was so early on in their career, maybe week three or four performing together. Their talent was evident early on, and they have only become better as their voices have matured a bit. They really took the judges’ comments to heart and worked to develop their skills and presentation. Check out the big three to see if you want to go further: Hallelujah is their most- viewed video by far; their Daft Punk medley won them their first Grammy; and Bohemian Rhapsody is an extraordinary cover of Queen’s classic. Or, if you want to stay with the Sing-Off for now, try Let’s Get It On and Dog Days Are Over, from Weeks 10 and 12, I believe. I enjoyed your reaction very much, good job picking up on the vocalists right away. Don’t worry about pausing, their label is fierce about copyright notices and frequent pauses may help with that. Peace from Ohio …
Thank you! Sounds like they were humble right from the off, which no doubt has contributed to their success - I'm excited to discover more of their work, including your recommendations 👌Expect a reaction to Let's Get It On soon! I love that song so there's no time for patience here haha
Holy Smokes, you should hear them now! They are all in their thirties currently with, hundreds of live performances between the world and summer/winter tours, private performances and hundreds of great music videos, three Grammys and lots of television appearances under their belts, whereas in this video they are in their late teens and early twenties and have only been performing as a group for a few weeks.
You should watch the evolution of Pentatonix, it is fairly old, but it will give you a basic knowledge of how they came to be. Spoiler alert, there are snippets of Pentatonix music videos you haven't seen yet, but it won't spoil your reaction to the original videos. - ruclips.net/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/видео.htmlsi=IDJoBg_uCHHwMScT @@SirHairless
Great reaction...and it's obvious you have a great ear for vocals. Lets start with the members: Lead singer ( blond guy with the glasses): Scott Hoying, baritone but has an incredible range and is a master of riffs and runs. He takes over the bass when the bass singer does lead or a verse. Scott has a great falsetto as well. 2nd singer ( dark-haired guy beside Scott) is Mitch Grassi, countertenor. Mitch...like almost everyone in the group, has a massive range of about 5 octaves. He can sing all the way down to D2 and up to his head voice in the stratosphere plus his falsetto ..plus whistle notes. Mitch rarely got to show off his true vocals in the Sing -Off. The producers told him to throttle his gayness and vocals. He laughingly refers to that time when he had to be "Masc Mitch". The girl: Kirstin ( Kirstie) Maldonado. She listed as a mezzo- soprano, but lately her voice has changed to Alto soprano. Again...a large range and really impressive whistle notes. If you watch more of their music, you note that she changes her hair colour frequently...so does Mitch. Their both chameleons. That bass...is Avi Kaplan, basso profundo. Avi is an opera trained bass and it shows. He can reach notes so low he breaks speakers. In fact, the group found they had to travel with their own speakers because he'd break the venue's stage speakers. Avi left the group amicably in 2017 and now enjoys a solo career. He was replaced by Matt Sallee, a rather joyful young man who fits in wonderfully with the group. Matt is a lyric baritone, but his lower range is improving all the time. And the beatboxer...Kevin Olusola is actually near genius level especially when it comes to music and the beats. When that show was aired, he'd graduated Pre-Med at Yale about a month before. He plays piano, sax and cello and beatboxes WHILE playing his cello. That was how the group found him...playing the cello and beatboxing on RUclips. He has perfect pitch, speaks several languages, helps songwrite most of the group's originals. He has his own RUclips channel, KO where he loops playing cello, keyboard, beatboxing and singing...and yes, he does sing. The's a tenor and sometimes those really high notes you'll hear is Kevin. The group swears that Kevin can actually hit higher notes than Mitch or Kirstie. The group was originally three high school friends known as The Trio...Scott, Mitch and Kirstie...who shortly after graduation heard about the Sing-Off and decided to enter. They needed a bass and a beatboxer to complete the requirements, so found Avi thru a friend of Scott's , Ben Bram ( who is still their go to arranger and invisible 6th member) and as I mentioned above...found Kevin on RUclips. The Trio have known each other since they were pre-teens and all had been involved with singing, musical theatre, choirs and the like since they were young. They formally became The Trio in High School in Arlington Texas. This may be unusual to recommend a newbie to Pentatonix to react to this, but your ability to pick out vocals and pitch makes me think you'd really appreciate this one...Gold. It's a cover of Kiiara's song, but she had to use all kinds of synth and computer help to get the sound she wanted...and frankly it's not a very impressive song, BUT...Pentatonix did it without any real heavy production at all...just them, a few mics and two couches. It's also easy to see who is singing... and the beats and bass, timing and harmonies are really outstanding. Other recommendations: Bohemian Rhapsody, Mad World, Daft Punk medley, 90's Dance Medley, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Say Something, Love Again ( original), Sing (original), Be My Eyes ( original). Sorry that was a wee bit long, but it's as condensed as I can make it and still get most of the info in.😊
I really think Kirstie has grown/evolved the most between The Sing Off and now. Also, you will come to find out that Kevin is the most talented of the group and the other members would tell you the same.
Hey Gwennedd, thanks for taking the time to offer me this info! Coupled with Alan's comment (which I see you commented on), I feel like a Pentaholic already 😂 Honestly, so interesting and useful - huge thanks! I like the sound of Gold so will be sure to put it high up on my list of reactions-to-do! (And I appreciate you thinking I'm up for the task 👀). And this comment will be here as a reference point for future PTX songs to react to - thanks again!
At the time of the sing off, Scott (blone guy) and Kirtsy (only female) were only 19, the slim black haired guy is Mitch, who was only 18, and missed his graduation ceremony to compete. Avi ( pronounce Ah-vee) and Kevin (beatboxer) were only a few years older.
This was about their 5th time performing together as a group. Just imagine how good they are now after singing together for over 11 years (with only one member change). They’re absolutely phenomenal.
PTX is amazing. You will like all they do. For pure musical amazement try Imagine, Bohemian Rhapsody, Mad World, Amazing Grace, Daft Punk,( Grammy for Daft Punk) Can’t Hold Us, Say Something, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy ( Grammy) The Prayer. I love all they do. Subscribed and hope to see more PTX. ❤
Wow, seems like a variety of genres covered there (in the originals) in your recommendations!@@debrawalkermeyer9109 Appreciate the subscribe; more PTX reactions will be coming 😀
Just subbed for more PTX. They are great and you are reacting to them at just the right time. They basically own Christmas when it comes to Christmas carols. They will arrange them like you have never heard them before. They’re definitely not your parent’s Carols. Can’t wait to see more reactions. Pick any song you like. It will blow you away.💕💕
Thank you, I appreciate it! I've received a lot of PTX (I've just learned this is their abbreviation?) requests so I guess my future reactions have been decided for me 😂 Am very much looking forward to exploring the PTX world - especially some new Christmas music!
I am so glad you are planning to explore this very deep rabbit hole. They have more than 200 videos of covers (upgrades) and originals. You will find that PTX has a very loyal fan base who love to watch new reactors discover their awesomeness. They will most certainly add to your channel. Good luck!@@SirHairless
@@SirHairless and when you want a break from PTX you can check up their solo/ duo music. Superfruit, KO (Kevin Olusala including Triptyq), Scott Hoying, Messer, Kirstin, ex- member Avi Kaplan. And there are other good Acapella groups, though PTX is far more successful and mainstream popular than any Acapella group before.
Mitch (the high voice) is a counter tenor. He is the highest voice of the group. Watch Aha! Live at the Star Vista and you will see just how great he really is. And Avi (the bass) breaks the speakers. It's an amazing performance. Also new subscriber. Hope you do more ptx.
@@akinpaws hahaha. True. That is the only video (not the live) that I don't like. Love the live. And Mitch jet lagged and hopped up on red bulls is a fantastic combo. Better wait a while. Look at some evolutions. They're always entertaining.
@@Kari5274 @akinpaws Ladies both of you are right, but you have both forgetton the other forbidden song, that new reactors aren't allowed to watch, the one done by SuperFruit.....I dare not mention the name
@@Kari5274 Yeah, but I'm taking about that one on Scott's birthday. The bloopers are ok, it's just that song, let's just say green makeup. Yeah that's the one, I knew that would help you to remember...
Their first Grammy was with their Daft Punk medley. The Prayer is another really good one to see their vocal ranges. They also have some fantastic original songs in addition to all of the covers (pentaholics call them upgrades rather than covers)
You have got a fabulously talented ear! You nailed every single observation you shared! New subscriber! Can't wait for any and all PTX reactions from you! Pick any of their content and you won't be disappointed! Welcome to PTX!
Mitch is the one you said was singing very high - this is nothing. He’s actually singing very low in his range, as he general sings as a counter tenor once the group goes professional after this competition.
I've subscribed to watch you venture down the Pentatonix rabbit hole. Their catalog will take months to react to, but feel free to watch more of them as they win The Sing-Off, or look into their massive Christmas music catalog, or so very many pop covers they have recorded! The have several "evolution" videos: Evolution of Music, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Evolution of Beyonce, Evolution of Rihanna, Evolution of Ariana Grande - all of which will be even more impressive, I'm sure! I look forward to watching you take this journey!
Thank you, I look forward to it too - it's only just started and I'm already excited. Will be filming my next reaction later today (big up hearing Pentatonix for the second time!), hopefully to be released tomorrow 😀
A lot of their official videos are protected for copyright by the labels, so be prepared to partially mask the odd video of theirs eg with text. Everything from the sing off series seems fine. The best from that is their Florence and the machine cover.
Thanks for the heads-up. This is a concern of mine; because if after filming a reaction to the actual video itself, it can be blocked completely, globally. Partially masking is (from experience) often futile in the copyright disputes as the copyright holders require only a fraction of footage to be used to claim copyright. It's happened with a couple of my previous reactions and I've had to edit in just the lyric videos on top :(
@@SirHairless Now as you have found out their record company is stupid when it comes to copyright issues.But most reactors I have heard from (about 25-30 or so) have found they worry more about the video, so if you will make the video more transparent, or blacked out and place some text over it (your name, Pentatonix, “covered with text for copyright”, a logo just anything, and then pause now and then to talk, it will help to keep from getting blocked. With their label and YT nothing is guaranteed, but from what the other reactors have said, this things create an 80%-90% improvement, at least you meet all the written rules, unless the reviewer is having a bad day.
loved this reaction! I recommend reacting to more live performances by them. I think the live videso showcase their talent and seem to be less likely to be blocked. I'd recommend their "evolution of" videos, daft punk medley private performance, or their live performance of "My heart with you" which is slower and beautiful :)
With the exception of the cover of John Lennon’s Imagine. The Official video should be reacted to so to capture important messages that aren’t used in live productions.
"I'm a little bit overwhelmed" -- this is why we Pentaholics look forward to people's very first reactions to this group. Because that's how we felt when we discovered them. They are a little bit overwhelming because they so beautifully do what they do.
This is where they came alive. All performances after this are wonderful...for the most part. Lol. If you love PTX like we do, you forgive the mistakes. This was live after all. ❤
Oh I’m excited! You have a great grasp for just seeing one of their first performances together. Please continue down this rabbit hole, I subscribed for more Pentatonix.
Thank you, Melissa 🙂I've recorded three Pentatonix reactions since (I'm well and truly into the rabbit hole 😅) which will be coming out tomorrow and next week, respectively
This was a performance over 10 years ago. There was a program called the Sing Off and it’s premise was a capella groups in competition. They could be families that sang together, college groups, barber shop groups, etc. but whatever they did had to be voice only. There was a requirement that there be a bass and a beatboxer as part of the group. There had to be at least 5 people. But no real upper limit of how many people but don’t think it was over 20 or 25 people. Pentatonix decided To use a play on the pentatonic scale (5 notes) and replace the c with an X, thus Pentatonix was born. You could go thru all their performances from the show and listen to the judges as they complimented or criticized the group. They did take to heart the judges remarks and you can see improvement as they go along. Of course they won the Sing Off that year. It was fun to see the other groups support and encourage them too.
The bass is the great Avi Kaplan. Avi is a classically/operatically trained basso profundo. He was hired by the L.A. Opera House the day before Scott, (tall blonde) contacted him to be their bass. He took Scott's offer and remained with the group for 6 years. He is now a solo singer/songwriter. He has a full 5+ octave range plus he is an overtone singer able to sustain his stationary lower voice and modulate his upper/whistle voice making a tune. As a matter of fact, his newest song is being released tomorrow, 11-17-2023 Avi Kaplan Healing.
Just a quick summary of their true ranges. Scott is a Baritone. He does have about a 5 octave range, they all do actually, except Mitch who has 6. Scott have developed a very rich bass to be able to hold the bassline when the bass is in solo, yet he can lift off into the rafters as well. Mitch is a true contratenor. So he can go into a baritone & then up into whistle notes. He is simply other dimensional lol. You will begin to hear the coined term Mitch-Slap, a lot. Kirstie is a mezzo soprano. So she has the ability to have a husky smokey alto when needed but can belt up into the heavens, & also has a pocket full of whistle notes. Matt is a lyrical bass (whereas Avi was a basso profundo) Matt has a chocolatey velvety warm bass which is only growing, & can belt & reach into tenor I believe, but has an amazing falsetto to the clouds. Kevin is a Tenor. He actually didnt begin developing his singing voice until PTX, & now he can actually hit some of the highest AND PERFECTLY PITCHED, notes in PTX arrangements, which you will get to see sprinkled in here & there in between his vocal percussions, & occasional cello-boxing (beatbox & play cello simultaneously). Prpare to be, KO'd. The PTX wall of sound is what it is because of their ability to interchange parts, their different vocal textures, & the true genuine chemistry & humility. Welcome to the rabbit hole sir!
Thanks for this! Love the information and detail you've provided. You're right, I've already heard of the term Mitch-Slap and can't wait to experience my own for the first time 😂
@SirHairless I'm totally here for it! And they will all give you a moment here and there lol. Mitch-Slapped. KO'd. Scott Slayed. Kirstie Kicked. Avi-Lanched. Matt Bombed. We just love these alien unicorns❤️
You have officially fallen into the Pentatonix rabbit hole! The range of each singer is amazing and wide. You're in for a treat. My recommendation is that you listen to all their "Sing Off" performances. It will help your understanding of the group dynamics. Enjoy the "ear candy!" They are magic.
Pentatonix is a fantastic, tight, and inventive group when it comes to acapella. They and a few others (such as Voiceplay, Home Free, and Voctave) have their own niches in acapella performances. It should also be noted that they are an active part of arranging their own music (same with the other groups). Beyond the normal rabbit hole for Pentatonix (Daft Punk medley, Sound of Silence, Hallelujah), a few songs highlighting different aspects of the group: Mitch's high voice/vocal range: Aha! live Kristie's high voice/vocal range: Seasons of Love Scott's high voice/vocal range: Problem Avi's vocal range: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Matt (new bass after Avi left) singing lead: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Musicality & ability to sing difficult arrangements: Favorite Things Ability to transition from one song to another in medleys: Evolution of Music (medley), 90's Dance Medley, Evolution of Beyonce (medley), Evolution of Michael Jackson (medley) Ability to sing/blend without any technology: Daft Punk live (in a green room, no mics, just the 5 of them lined up) Kevin's beat boxing is always on point, and it shows well early with Daft Punk and changing the grooves in all the medley songs. Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole! You won't be disappointed.
You're good. Very few first-timers even attempt to identify all the voices, except for maybe picking out the bass. And based on the limited evidence of this one performance, your assumptions were surprisingly accurate. Kudos on picking out Scott (the blond) as the one who goes very high at the end of the solo by Mitch (dark-haired tenor). Most people don't even mention it, or assume it's Kirstie because she's a girl. Now what you DON'T know--and can't know from just one performance--is that Scott is a baritone who can also sing tenor (as he did here) and bass (when the group's bass has a solo). You also have no way of knowing that Mitch didn't sing high at all in this song; that's his middle range. He's a countertenor. He'll soon blow you away! Also, Pentatonix (aka PTX) has a secret weapon: their beatboxer, Kevin, sings sometimes and possesses a gorgeous high tenor voice. And don't get me started on Avi, the bass, or this post will be twice as long. I just subscribed, in the hopes that you'll check out more PTX! You won't regret it.
Thanks, Jane! I've been hearing a lot that I can expect to be blown away by PTX for many different reasons, so I will be reacting to more PTX (whilst attempting a bit of an on-the-spot deep dive) for exactly this reason 🎶 I've filmed a few more reactions already as I was so flabbergasted by this performance. Next one comes out tomorrow ☺
Subbed hoping for more PTX. As others have stated, they own Christmas and have gotten better every year. To gain more subs, I suggest Hallelujah official video. If you want to keep it live, Hallelujah during their Christmas Special.
Thanks ☺My brief questioning in this vid was more from an integrity perspective (as many artists mime/lip sync today), but I'm fully aware now that it's all live
What a delight to watch your very first exposure to Pentatonix ❤. I just discovered this reaction, I’ve watched many of your reactions to more current songs they’ve performed well after you had become intimately familiar with all their voices. I’m still impressed you can pick out the parts so quickly and Identify just who is singing what. I had to smile when, at the beginning, you said, “I hope they don’t botch this”. Being a professional musician having the musical discernment to properly adjudicate an a cappella group it’s understandable you had concern about a group you were unfamiliar with singing a song you really loved. However, by the end of the song you had realized this was a tremendously talented group and you asked for more suggestions from Pentaholics. Without a doubt, you were served ❤😂. Thanks for the great reaction, I always look forward to you pointing out things I simply cannot hear.
This was 12 years ago. 3 Grammies (to date). The ONLY a capella group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Several world tours. Sold out concerts. Last month they dropped their latest (7th?) Xmas album. And only one member change... The bass in this video (Avi Kaplan) left in 2017 and has a flourishing solo career. Matt Sallee came in as the current bass.
Thanks, Jim! This was very fun to react to - I really enjoyed figuring out who's doing what, and by the looks of it (with them switching parts and whatnot) they'll keep you on your toes 🎶
i hope you go on to check these out. the high tenor is is a natural counter tenor. he has a vocal range of over 5 octaves. they all have large ranges .the young man leading today does the bass when the bass is singing lead. you will not be sorry you 'checked them out'. they sing, write, arrange, and everything in m between. they cover all genres so check their list out and pick one . oh, the beat boxer has a voice that can sound like warm maple syrup
I think this was only the 4th Sing-Off episode. You should really react to them *IN ORDER* to see how fast and well they come together as a group. Technically this was only their 5th performance *EVER* as Pentatonix. They met Kevin (beatboxer) literally the day before the audition for this show. Your next reaction ‘Let’s Get It On’ (#10) is tied for 2nd place with ‘Born To Be Wild” (#7) in my list of favorites (just depends on my mood at the time). Everybody’s favorite is the last episode ‘Dog Days Are Over’, but to see and hear how they learn and grow together from the start is amazing. Remember, this is only their 5th time working together… *EVER* ! They have an extensive catalog of over 200 cover songs to react to. Another extensive catalog of over 200 Christmas songs to react to. And a growing catalog of original songs to react to. Not to mention their individual projects. Scott has his own channel. Mitch (as Messr) has his own channel. Scott and Mitch have a side channel called Super Fruit that is amazing. Avi has his own channel and projects now. And Kevin (KO) has his own channel. More pentaholics will find you quickly and start blowing your numbers up, so be prepared, but don’t panic. We may appear to be a rabid bunch, but we’re basically harmless and quite friendly. Most of us have been around for years and love to follow new reactors on your journey of discovery to live vicariously through you. Alan and Margaret are great sources of history and knowledge, so if you have questions seek them out. Welcome to the ranks of pentaholics, you’re in for a wild ride!
Hey Sonja, thanks for your informative comment and suggestions! I've been receiving a LOT of recommendations so it will be a little tricky to react to everything in order whilst reacting to the recommendations! So apologies in advance for that 😇 But what I do know is that I will eventually listen to all of their works, and I (bloody well hopefully) will enjoy them all 😂 I've had only pleasant interactions with Pentaholics thus far and am excited for the journey to continue 🎶
@@SirHairless I only meant you should try to react to the twelve *2011 Sing-Off* episodes in order. Obviously they won but they were the youngest, smallest and most newly formed group. How they managed to pull it all together so quickly is astounding...and you get a glimpse of that growth and co-operation in each consecutive episode. After that, there are the staple "beginner lists" of favorites, but pick what you like best. They haven't recorded a bad song yet. So better get busy! You're gonna be at this awhile. And great job responding to all the comments, but don't burn yourself out. As your numbers grow it's gonna become impossible!
@@sonjarussell7332 Ah I see! I can try from hereon but I may or may not have already recorded a couple more Sing-Off performance reactions😅But will try to do the remaining ones in order 👍 Thanks, I'm new to this and really enjoy the engagement so am trying to respond to everyone 🙏 If the numbers do grow then we can reassess then haha! As always, thanks for the comments :)
Hey @musicfanatic6558, apologies if this isn't what you mean but I think there are 3 notes in that chord - Scott with the top note, then Kirstie with the middle, and then Mitch with the lowest of the notes (still high!)
Thank you!! I will be reacting to more PTX don't you worry. If you're interested in techno at all, here is my reaction to a very interesting techno/choral music hybrid, sampling French choral music from the 2004 film 'Les Choristes'
Scott, the blonde baritone, is doing falsetto. Kirstie is singing under Scott. Mitch is the black-haired high singer. Avi (AH-vee) with the black beard and black leather jacket is the bass. Kevin is the beatboxer. They have over 200 songs on their channel. I've heard most of them at least 50 times and never get bored. I see or hear something new every time. There are only a couple songs I don't care for, not to be named here. Their new holiday album "the Greatest Christmas Hits" has 8 songs at the end, which have never been released by them. My faves are their original "Please Santa Please" (Kirstie and Kevin wrote it), and a cover of "O Holy Night" that knocked my socks off. They are the kings and queens of Christmas and the holiday season. I can't wait to hear more of your Pentatonix (aka PTX) reactions. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks for the info, sounds like I got it right, phew! 😅 It's getting to that Christmas season so expect more reactions! The thing with first-time reactions is there's so much to say in so little time, and as you point out, every time one comes back to listen again, new things are noticed!
New subscriber 🙋🏻♀. Huge Pentatonix fan ( aka: Pentaholic). Loved your analysis of their performance. With your knowledge, you can appreciate their true talent. Looking forward to more PTX.
I was college when this was out and your face and overall reaction is very nostalgic to how mindblown I was then! I used to use a youtube downloader to keep all their videos saved on my laptop in high res so I could watch it anytime I wanted. Wifi wasn't common then 😅
I love it when a real musician finds PTX. It's great to hear the analysis of their sounds which we all love by instinct without always being able to put it into technical terms. Love it! I think you would really enjoy watching their documentary, Making of Evergreen. It follows their production of the 2021 Christmas album, which was nominated for a Grammy, although it didn't win this time. 😢 I saw a suggestion to see Gold, which I totally agree with. It's one of my favorites to show off everyone's talents. Imagine will blow your socks off and you'll hear how incredible Kevin's voice is; something we don't often get to hear because he's so vital to their sound as a beatboxer. Thanks for talking this journey and sharing it with us! I've subscribed for more fantastic insights into PTX
Not sure it was mentioned, but when Avi has a lead section Scott will take over the bass line. (see Hallelujah, it's more noticeable on the live Christmas version). Also, you'll see that Avi has been replaced by Matt as bass in later videos. Avi Kaplan is doing solo work now.
I adore, ADORE that you're delighted at Mitch's range here. He, as you probably know by now, is not even trying, there :D. For the Sing-Off, the very best performances in my opinion are: Born to be Wild (there are a few moments that are jawdropping, including the very start) and Dog Days are Over (where you find out that Avi can do overtones!! I firmly believe that the judges spoke about it but realized they had to cut it for the show because it's complicated to explain and might come across imperfectly). Thanks for this, can't wait for you to truly hear the range of both Avi and Mitch! Honestly Scott and Kirsten both have really stellar ranges too, though I'm glad nowadays that she feels more comfortable singing in her vibrant alto. Her use of vibrato is so gorgeous-- one person described it as though she tosses the note out there and pulls it back with a shiver at the end.
Thanks :) I'll get round the all the Sing Off performances eventually, very much looking forward to it! Sometimes I prefer the raw, live performances as they're...well...so much rawer than music that undergoes various enhancements in post-production. That's a great description of her vibrato! On Avi's overtones, there is an earlier performance in which he does this (reaction coming soon), but I'll keep that hushed for now
Thanks! The journey's just started so happy to have you along for the ride :D I've done a handful of other PTX reactions if you want to check them out - all in the acapella playlist on my channel
I just subbed in the hopes that you will go all the way down with PTX, yes all 225 or so performances, not a single one of which is a loser. Would love to see you stay with early performances like this one first, so that you can watch the group and each individual within the group grow into the superstars they are today.
Haha I've already received quite a lot of their songs to react to 😅I'll do my best! Blown away by this performance so it's a sign of good things to come
Kevin and Avi had only met each other the day before the auditions, but roomed together during the SingOff. This enhanced their ability to practice working together. Much later in their careers, Kevin commented that they were so attuned to working together that they each knew when the other one had to take a breath and could seamlessly cover for each other.
BabyTonix! ❤ The Trio were only 19 years old at this time (Mitch missed his high school graduation to be in this show)! And Avi & Kevin were only a year or 2 older than them!
I love their Daft Punk mash up too! It's quite excellent, and gives a good overview of whose voice is singing what part. It's beautifully done, and the video editing 10 our of 10! New subscriber here, so maybe you've reacted to it already, I'm still working my way through your videos.
I can't wait to get around to it - it's been recommended a lot! I'm now better-acquainted with PTX, this was my first one 🎶 You'll see in a few of my other reactions to them I've done sectional transcriptions too. Thanks for watching!
Pause at 5:36 for your new desktop background. Check out this reaction to < Pentatonix: Let's Get It On > next! ruclips.net/video/A11YM55YHKw/видео.html
Sorry this is so long. One thing to remember is that 3 members have a 5 octave range, I don't know about Kevin, (the beatboxer) because he doesn't sing that much (I do prefer his normal tenor voice to his falsetto, but what do I know), that leaves Mitch, our boy Mitch has at least a 6.5 octave, (top note around B7) and probably more, he's a natural counter-tenor but he refuses to let others know his true top or bottom note. Part of that is he's afraid he'll hurt his voice, which I can understand. There has only been one personal change that was in 2017, Avi Kaplan the bass singer left for various reasons, and Matt Sallee came on board. The face most people make when they hear Mitch's voice is called a Mitch Slap. Black guy Kevin beatboxer Tenor very wide vocal range Lead (this song) Scott Baritone, covers bass when bass has lead, up to upper tenor Kirsty (rhymes with thirsty) Mezzo-soprano Bass Avi (AHH-vee) Basso-Profundo
Thanks for the info, haha I guess watch out for my Mitch Slap in future reactions 😂 I'm not sure (yet) if people are really aware of the vocal versatility required to be able to cover other parts, not only having the range to do so, but the timbre and technique too - it blows my mind how they can do it!
@@SirHairless I understand why you picked this song, but it wasn't exactl the best to start with, anything outside of the Sing-Off will be great.You are right abut the talent it takes to go from being lead, to being background support, an d back. When you hear their whole story you will be amazed. This is giving a suggestion, but also explain how they got to this point, I'm sure others will hit on this, but anyway. They won the Sing-Off prizes were $200K and a recording contract They had lost their recording contract because the company didn't think accepella was worth doing (they did come back a few years later and re-signed them. Anyway, being broke and just getting started, they spent their last $400, and made a deal with a brand-new post/editing company, (The company would do this one free, and PTX would use them exclusively for so long, and would list them as the Post company as much as possible Free advertising) then they went to Avi and Kevin's apartment, each one went in a closet by themselves, and recorded their vocals, then they hung blackout curtains in either the kitchen or a bedroom I've heard both from reliable sources, and recorded the visuals, and then did post on Avi's iPad, which is what they recorded everything on. Put it on YT and won a Grammy. There is some debate over exactly what it cost, and where it happened, etc... I may not be right on everything, so if you hear something better go with it, this is just what I"ve heard, as I said reliable sources, people that were either there, or personally know the members. There is a list of the song, and if you have problem believing what you hear, a live version, and even a verson recorded as part of the Make A Wish Foundation, the do the song with no mics at all. If you don’t know Daft Punk you may first want to listen to 15-20 seconds of 2 or 3 of their songs to understand what is going on. There is one more link, it is an original song that is similar, and a live no mic verson. Daft Punk ruclips.net/video/3MteSlpxCpo/видео.html Live 2022 ruclips.net/video/a8PZ7_KMGM4/видео.html Private ruclips.net/video/tw4YCsHXKgI/видео.html ------------------------ Love Again ruclips.net/video/F80FsZDTgn0/видео.html ruclips.net/video/GyRiez6UKAI/видео.html
@@Contridiction-vp3fv wow, quite incredible! A risk that paid off massively for them ey. Thanks again for this additional info 👍 Thank you for the recommendations and for providing me with the links 😀I will hold off from listening to any PTX recordings right now because I'd like my first time hearing them to be a live reaction, but I've received the Daft Punk request several times already so I will definitely hear it soon!
@@SirHairless Again I'm sorry if I'm overloading you with information. But one more thing, I really hate saying this because I'm not 100% sure of the exacct time line, but When Kevin actually joined the group, it was almost too late. Scott contacted Kevin about joining the group, Kevin said he would like too, but he had to graduate college Yale pre-med first. So a week later, Kevin called Scott back and said I'm in. By the time he flew to L.A., they only had time to practice in person one time before taking the stage in the competition, Seems like I heard if his plane had been delayed, he would have missed the cut-off time, and they would not have been able to compete. I want to say he got there late on Sunday, and recording started on Monday. He passed Pre-med with a 4.0. But makes his living beatboxing, and I think he made the right choice. If someone gives you a different timeline, go with it, my memory isn't real great.
New here please react to pentatonix songs new rules. Love again daft punk . gold. Sing. The prayer. Pompeii. Perfume medley. The sound of silence. Can you feel the love tonight. Cheer leader. Rather, be. mitch can go very high
Because it was a Contest show every group had to arrange (choreograph, etc.) their own performance. When I heard Pentatonix' first performance (a cover of "ET", by Katy Perry), which was in the second week of the show; they were so much better than the other groups, I thought they had to be "ringers" added to make the show better... Needless to say they were not!!
@SirHairless I just found you today, and I like your style. I think it would be interesting if you reviewed Disturbed's cover of "The Sound of Silence.." Lead singer of heavy metal band, David Draiman, is classically trained as a cantor.
I'm just popping in to recommend you add Home Free to your list of groups to react to. And then Voiceplay completes the amazing trio of acapella groups (of course there are many others). Home Free won the Sing Off competition in one of the following seasons..
Thanks, Michael - they're both on my list as I've received the same recommendations several times already! Especially "Ring of Fire" featuring Pentatonix's (ex) bass, Avi? It's on my list so stay tuned!
@@SirHairless great to hear. There are hundreds of covers and originals on their channel, and many clips of them live in concert, if you want to see their 'raw' performance..'9 to 5 breakdown' is a favourite of mine.
It’s amazing isn’t it? Scott who sang lead is actually a baritone, but his range is so big he can pop out a beautiful falsetto and also cover the bass line when the bass is singing lead (which didn’t happen in this song, to be clear), Mitch, the high tenor has a truly uniquely beautiful high range. All of them can and have done solo projects while still making Pentatonix their main gig. It’s hard to believe, because they are so solid already, that this was only their 4th performance as Pentatonix. Scott, Mitch and Kirstin sang together in high school, but Avi and Kevin were added and only had a day to practice before the Sing Off auditions. With one change (Avi leaving to be replaced by Matt in 2017) the band is still going strong. Stronger than ever, really. Welcome to PTX! Fantastic reaction!
Thank you! I'm hearing a lot about (and I'm still baffled by) their interchangeability between parts - excited to explore their repertoire and see how they put it to use!
@@SirHairless For a few years, approx. 2013 - 2016, Scott and Mitch had a side gig called Superfruit, where they had a weekly vlog, and put out an EP and even did a bit of touring - between PTX tours, of course. A couple of great music videos they did are Superfruit Empire Medley, Superfruit Defying Gravity. Either of those will show both of their amazing ranges. If you want to hear all 5 of them sing solo parts, including the beatboxer, Kevin, check out their cover of John Lennon's Imagine. The harmony in that one is breath-taking.
@@rlhcat7662 Thank you for this info! I've received the recommendation for Imagine several times now so I'll be sure to add it to the queue 👍
When you watch the Sing off videos watch the judges' reactions after you do yours. They are classic
"They can sing anything" the truest statement ever.
They have 3 Grammys, a star on Hollywood walk of Fame , gold records ,endless soldout world tours and it all started here ❤️❤️👀🔥
They were kids here and still brilliant
What you need to realize, is that Pentatonix changed the music industry. To give you an example, the Grammy's had to literally create a new category for them , because their video "Daft Punk" (for wich they only had a budget of about 400$) had so much views and momentum, that the Academy couldn't ignore it. They are also the first and only acapella group to have their Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
and the Grammy for Daft Punk was the arrangement, 1st a cappella group to receive one and now they have 2 for arranging, they are exceptional!
@@camillep3631 they actually have won 3: 1 for the arrangements, 1 for best acapella group or performance, and another for their collaboration with Dolly Parton for their version of Jolene.
@@johnvermette9466 their first 2 were both for the arrangement and it really burns my cookies they didn't get one for Evergreen or Holidays Around the World
@@johnvermette9466 Pentatonix picked up their first career GRAMMY for Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella for "Daft Punk" for 2014. The group won the same category the next year for "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy." Then for performance of Jolene with the QUEEN Dolly
@@camillep3631 thank you for the precisons. In either case, the category "Best arrangements, Instrumental or Acapella" was mainly created because of PTX! They were becoming Undeniables!
Pentatonix
They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that.
The founding members are:-
Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead);
Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”.
Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease);
Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and
Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese).
Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on RUclips, most notably a cover of Lady Gaga′s "Telephone". The three of them are best friends and consider themselves to be almost siblings.
Scott & Kirstie (who were a class year ahead of Mitch) both graduated high school in 2010 and went their separate ways to different colleges, Scott at USC and Kirstie at Oklahoma.
While at USC, Scott joined a USC−based a cappella group called the SoCal VoCals, where he met alumnus Ben Bram, who was now an arranger and vocal coach for the NBC TV show The Sing Off, an a cappella competition show. Ben convinced Scott to get The Trio to audition for the show. The three reunited (Mitch had to skip high school graduation ceremonies to go) in Los Angeles for the audition.
They found out that the rules had changed, so they needed at least five members to audition. Ben put them together with Avi (a native of Visalia, California), who he knew from Avi′s performing days at Mount San Antonio College in California. They found Kevin (from Kentucky) through one of his RUclips videos that had gone viral featuring him playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time, a talent that Kevin coined as "Cello−Boxing".
Kevin arrived in Los Angeles literally the day before the audition! Scott came up with the name "Pentatonix" after the pentatonic scale. They performed a re−arrangement of "The Telephone" for the audition and passed, despite having been together as a five−piece group for less that 24 hours!
They won The Sing Off that season (all of the performances are available on RUclips), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building.
But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an a cappella group could sell records.
Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on RUclips, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live.
Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers.
But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label.
They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys.
Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry.
Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group.
If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently.
It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch ruclips.net/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/видео.html&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D.
After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre.
Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/
Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work.
Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place.
They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win.
Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. No dates YET!
They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star!
They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23.
Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!!
1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to.
2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album.
3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.
I should have known you'd drop this here!!😁! I could have saved my fingertips the trouble of writing out a whole bloody long epistle!
Wow, thanks Alan for this! What a great read of information on this (I'm sure I'll discover) astounding group. Really, really interesting and cool to know.
How remarkable that Scott, Kirstie and Mitch grew up together and are all so musically gifted, even insofar as ranges (because it's not everyday someone has such a big range). And Kevin arriving in LA the day before the audition?! 😂
And a star on the Hollywood walk of fame? Wow!
I'm gonna watch the compilation you linked now so I'm better-placed for my future Pentatonix reactions.
@@Gwennedd I love watching other people discover ptx for the first time and I swear i have come across Alan and his amazing summary about four times now. Im glad one pentaholic is on top of it
Best info ever, Alan, but you'll have to update -- Grammy nominations came out yesterday They are up for a fifth time for last year's album Holidays Around the World in Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. 🙂
@@LindaVernon Linda - my text is already edited, but not commented anywhere yet. The next virgin reactor it will be there!
This performance was where they distanced themselves from the other teams. Their previous performances were good, but this was our first glimpse of what Pentatonix would become.
As my first insight into this group...completely mindblown!
New subscriber, here’s hoping you choose to discover more and more Pentatonix. This was so early on in their career, maybe week three or four performing together. Their talent was evident early on, and they have only become better as their voices have matured a bit. They really took the judges’ comments to heart and worked to develop their skills and presentation. Check out the big three to see if you want to go further: Hallelujah is their most- viewed video by far; their Daft Punk medley won them their first Grammy; and Bohemian Rhapsody is an extraordinary cover of Queen’s classic. Or, if you want to stay with the Sing-Off for now, try Let’s Get It On and Dog Days Are Over, from Weeks 10 and 12, I believe. I enjoyed your reaction very much, good job picking up on the vocalists right away. Don’t worry about pausing, their label is fierce about copyright notices and frequent pauses may help with that. Peace from Ohio …
Thank you! Sounds like they were humble right from the off, which no doubt has contributed to their success - I'm excited to discover more of their work, including your recommendations 👌Expect a reaction to Let's Get It On soon! I love that song so there's no time for patience here haha
Holy Smokes, you should hear them now! They are all in their thirties currently with, hundreds of live performances between the world and summer/winter tours, private performances and hundreds of great music videos, three Grammys and lots of television appearances under their belts, whereas in this video they are in their late teens and early twenties and have only been performing as a group for a few weeks.
I'm excited to see their evolution over time. They've set a very high bar right from the off!
You should watch the evolution of Pentatonix, it is fairly old, but it will give you a basic knowledge of how they came to be. Spoiler alert, there are snippets of Pentatonix music videos you haven't seen yet, but it won't spoil your reaction to the original videos. - ruclips.net/video/lDxIfwfCmQE/видео.htmlsi=IDJoBg_uCHHwMScT @@SirHairless
Great reaction...and it's obvious you have a great ear for vocals.
Lets start with the members:
Lead singer ( blond guy with the glasses): Scott Hoying, baritone but has an incredible range and is a master of riffs and runs. He takes over the bass when the bass singer does lead or a verse. Scott has a great falsetto as well.
2nd singer ( dark-haired guy beside Scott) is Mitch Grassi, countertenor. Mitch...like almost everyone in the group, has a massive range of about 5 octaves. He can sing all the way down to D2 and up to his head voice in the stratosphere plus his falsetto ..plus whistle notes. Mitch rarely got to show off his true vocals in the Sing -Off. The producers told him to throttle his gayness and vocals. He laughingly refers to that time when he had to be "Masc Mitch".
The girl: Kirstin ( Kirstie) Maldonado. She listed as a mezzo- soprano, but lately her voice has changed to Alto soprano. Again...a large range and really impressive whistle notes. If you watch more of their music, you note that she changes her hair colour frequently...so does Mitch. Their both chameleons.
That bass...is Avi Kaplan, basso profundo. Avi is an opera trained bass and it shows. He can reach notes so low he breaks speakers. In fact, the group found they had to travel with their own speakers because he'd break the venue's stage speakers. Avi left the group amicably in 2017 and now enjoys a solo career. He was replaced by Matt Sallee, a rather joyful young man who fits in wonderfully with the group. Matt is a lyric baritone, but his lower range is improving all the time.
And the beatboxer...Kevin Olusola is actually near genius level especially when it comes to music and the beats. When that show was aired, he'd graduated Pre-Med at Yale about a month before. He plays piano, sax and cello and beatboxes WHILE playing his cello. That was how the group found him...playing the cello and beatboxing on RUclips. He has perfect pitch, speaks several languages, helps songwrite most of the group's originals. He has his own RUclips channel, KO where he loops playing cello, keyboard, beatboxing and singing...and yes, he does sing. The's a tenor and sometimes those really high notes you'll hear is Kevin. The group swears that Kevin can actually hit higher notes than Mitch or Kirstie.
The group was originally three high school friends known as The Trio...Scott, Mitch and Kirstie...who shortly after graduation heard about the Sing-Off and decided to enter. They needed a bass and a beatboxer to complete the requirements, so found Avi thru a friend of Scott's , Ben Bram ( who is still their go to arranger and invisible 6th member) and as I mentioned above...found Kevin on RUclips. The Trio have known each other since they were pre-teens and all had been involved with singing, musical theatre, choirs and the like since they were young. They formally became The Trio in High School in Arlington Texas.
This may be unusual to recommend a newbie to Pentatonix to react to this, but your ability to pick out vocals and pitch makes me think you'd really appreciate this one...Gold. It's a cover of Kiiara's song, but she had to use all kinds of synth and computer help to get the sound she wanted...and frankly it's not a very impressive song, BUT...Pentatonix did it without any real heavy production at all...just them, a few mics and two couches. It's also easy to see who is singing... and the beats and bass, timing and harmonies are really outstanding.
Other recommendations:
Bohemian Rhapsody, Mad World, Daft Punk medley, 90's Dance Medley, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Say Something, Love Again ( original), Sing (original), Be My Eyes ( original).
Sorry that was a wee bit long, but it's as condensed as I can make it and still get most of the info in.😊
I really think Kirstie has grown/evolved the most between The Sing Off and now. Also, you will come to find out that Kevin is the most talented of the group and the other members would tell you the same.
Hey Gwennedd, thanks for taking the time to offer me this info! Coupled with Alan's comment (which I see you commented on), I feel like a Pentaholic already 😂 Honestly, so interesting and useful - huge thanks!
I like the sound of Gold so will be sure to put it high up on my list of reactions-to-do! (And I appreciate you thinking I'm up for the task 👀). And this comment will be here as a reference point for future PTX songs to react to - thanks again!
@@jimcollier4114, agreed! Her voice has certainly matured and deepened...and strengthened in the past couple of years.
Daft Punk, The Sound of Silence, The Prayer, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Mr Grinch ... among a few other songs you should check out
Hey Joanne, thanks for these recommendations 🙌
At the time of the sing off, Scott (blone guy) and Kirtsy (only female) were only 19, the slim black haired guy is Mitch, who was only 18, and missed his graduation ceremony to compete. Avi ( pronounce Ah-vee) and Kevin (beatboxer) were only a few years older.
Seems like it was a worthwhile miss for Mitch!
This was about their 5th time performing together as a group. Just imagine how good they are now after singing together for over 11 years (with only one member change). They’re absolutely phenomenal.
I bet! Very excited to find this out through listening to their newer stuff!
PTX is amazing. You will like all they do. For pure musical amazement try Imagine, Bohemian Rhapsody, Mad World, Amazing Grace, Daft Punk,( Grammy for Daft Punk) Can’t Hold Us, Say Something, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy ( Grammy) The Prayer. I love all they do. Subscribed and hope to see more PTX. ❤
Wow, seems like a variety of genres covered there (in the originals) in your recommendations!@@debrawalkermeyer9109
Appreciate the subscribe; more PTX reactions will be coming 😀
If you haven’t been made aware of this yet, Mitch is a true counter-tenor and Avi is a basso-profundo!
Just subbed for more PTX. They are great and you are reacting to them at just the right time. They basically own Christmas when it comes to Christmas carols. They will arrange them like you have never heard them before. They’re definitely not your parent’s Carols. Can’t wait to see more reactions. Pick any song you like. It will blow you away.💕💕
Thank you, I appreciate it! I've received a lot of PTX (I've just learned this is their abbreviation?) requests so I guess my future reactions have been decided for me 😂 Am very much looking forward to exploring the PTX world - especially some new Christmas music!
I am so glad you are planning to explore this very deep rabbit hole. They have more than 200 videos of covers (upgrades) and originals. You will find that PTX has a very loyal fan base who love to watch new reactors discover their awesomeness. They will most certainly add to your channel. Good luck!@@SirHairless
@@theresarigio5627 ❤
@@SirHairless and when you want a break from PTX you can check up their solo/ duo music. Superfruit, KO (Kevin Olusala including Triptyq), Scott Hoying, Messer, Kirstin, ex- member Avi Kaplan. And there are other good Acapella groups, though PTX is far more successful and mainstream popular than any Acapella group before.
@@minaolenella869 Oh cool, this hasn't been recommended to me yet! Thanks 👌
Mitch (the high voice) is a counter tenor. He is the highest voice of the group. Watch Aha! Live at the Star Vista and you will see just how great he really is. And Avi (the bass) breaks the speakers. It's an amazing performance. Also new subscriber. Hope you do more ptx.
You don't just drop Aha! at the Star Vista on a new reactor like that. He needs time to build up a tolerance.
@@akinpaws hahaha. True. That is the only video (not the live) that I don't like. Love the live. And Mitch jet lagged and hopped up on red bulls is a fantastic combo. Better wait a while. Look at some evolutions. They're always entertaining.
@@Kari5274 @akinpaws Ladies both of you are right, but you have both forgetton the other forbidden song, that new reactors aren't allowed to watch, the one done by SuperFruit.....I dare not mention the name
@@Contridiction-vp3fv well that takes out at least 6 of Superfruit. I love them and their bloopers!
@@Kari5274 Yeah, but I'm taking about that one on Scott's birthday. The bloopers are ok, it's just that song, let's just say green makeup. Yeah that's the one, I knew that would help you to remember...
Lol ,at his voice is really high. Understatement of the century, if ever I've heard it.
Haha 😅Can't wait to see the true extent of their ranges from what I'm hearing about them!
Their first Grammy was with their Daft Punk medley. The Prayer is another really good one to see their vocal ranges. They also have some fantastic original songs in addition to all of the covers (pentaholics call them upgrades rather than covers)
Recommend their cover of Mad World.
Thank you 🙌
You have got a fabulously talented ear! You nailed every single observation you shared! New subscriber! Can't wait for any and all PTX reactions from you! Pick any of their content and you won't be disappointed! Welcome to PTX!
Thank you for the kind words!
Mitch is the one you said was singing very high - this is nothing. He’s actually singing very low in his range, as he general sings as a counter tenor once the group goes professional after this competition.
I've subscribed to watch you venture down the Pentatonix rabbit hole. Their catalog will take months to react to, but feel free to watch more of them as they win The Sing-Off, or look into their massive Christmas music catalog, or so very many pop covers they have recorded! The have several "evolution" videos: Evolution of Music, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Evolution of Beyonce, Evolution of Rihanna, Evolution of Ariana Grande - all of which will be even more impressive, I'm sure! I look forward to watching you take this journey!
Thank you, I look forward to it too - it's only just started and I'm already excited. Will be filming my next reaction later today (big up hearing Pentatonix for the second time!), hopefully to be released tomorrow 😀
"You've got her, then him, then the lead tenor singer" Me: *cackles in Mitchslap knowledge*
A lot of their official videos are protected for copyright by the labels, so be prepared to partially mask the odd video of theirs eg with text. Everything from the sing off series seems fine. The best from that is their Florence and the machine cover.
Thanks for the heads-up. This is a concern of mine; because if after filming a reaction to the actual video itself, it can be blocked completely, globally. Partially masking is (from experience) often futile in the copyright disputes as the copyright holders require only a fraction of footage to be used to claim copyright. It's happened with a couple of my previous reactions and I've had to edit in just the lyric videos on top :(
@@SirHairless Now as you have found out their record company is stupid when it comes to copyright issues.But most reactors I have heard from (about 25-30 or so) have found they worry more about the video, so if you will
make the video more transparent, or blacked out and place some text over it (your name, Pentatonix, “covered with text for copyright”, a logo just anything,
and then pause now and then to talk, it will help to keep from getting blocked. With their label and YT nothing is guaranteed, but from what the other reactors have said, this things create an 80%-90% improvement, at least you meet all the written rules, unless the reviewer is having a bad day.
You have to pause a lot to get past the copyright, also blurring the video helps. We’re used to it.
All the singers have an amazing range
This was the week I KNEW they were going to win the competition.
Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole!
With music like this, it sounds like a good rabbit hole!
loved this reaction! I recommend reacting to more live performances by them. I think the live videso showcase their talent and seem to be less likely to be blocked. I'd recommend their "evolution of" videos, daft punk medley private performance, or their live performance of "My heart with you" which is slower and beautiful :)
Thank you 👌 And for these recommendations too
With the exception of the cover of John Lennon’s Imagine. The Official video should be reacted to so to capture important messages that aren’t used in live productions.
@@chrispavlich9656 HARD disagree on the imagine video. Not difficult to guess why you feel some type of way about that one in particular lmao
My current favorites (changes daily) are Havana and Can't Hold Us.
Wow, changes daily 😂 They must have a lot of quality songs out there 🎵
"I'm a little bit overwhelmed" -- this is why we Pentaholics look forward to people's very first reactions to this group. Because that's how we felt when we discovered them. They are a little bit overwhelming because they so beautifully do what they do.
This is where they came alive. All performances after this are wonderful...for the most part. Lol. If you love PTX like we do, you forgive the mistakes. This was live after all. ❤
Oh I’m excited! You have a great grasp for just seeing one of their first performances together. Please continue down this rabbit hole, I subscribed for more Pentatonix.
Thank you, Melissa 🙂I've recorded three Pentatonix reactions since (I'm well and truly into the rabbit hole 😅) which will be coming out tomorrow and next week, respectively
Another new subscriber for more PTX....enjoyed your reaction....Scott, Kirstie and Mitch, the 3 singers, were 19 yrs old...crazy
Hey, thank you so much 🙌
This was a performance over 10 years ago. There was a program called the Sing Off and it’s premise was a capella groups in competition. They could be families that sang together, college groups, barber shop groups, etc. but whatever they did had to be voice only. There was a requirement that there be a bass and a beatboxer as part of the group. There had to be at least 5 people. But no real upper limit of how many people but don’t think it was over 20 or 25 people. Pentatonix decided To use a play on the pentatonic scale (5 notes) and replace the c with an X, thus Pentatonix was born. You could go thru all their performances from the show and listen to the judges as they complimented or criticized the group. They did take to heart the judges remarks and you can see improvement as they go along. Of course they won the Sing Off that year. It was fun to see the other groups support and encourage them too.
Fantastic reaction! So glad you went in depth with your comments. It was a live performance, and you got the voices right. :-)
Thank you ☺
More Pentatonix please! Thank you.
They'll be coming!
Mitch is a true counter tenor.
The bass is the great Avi Kaplan.
Avi is a classically/operatically trained basso profundo.
He was hired by the L.A. Opera House the day before Scott, (tall blonde) contacted him to be their bass.
He took Scott's offer and remained with the group for 6 years.
He is now a solo singer/songwriter.
He has a full 5+ octave range plus he is an overtone singer able to sustain his stationary lower voice and modulate his upper/whistle voice making a tune.
As a matter of fact, his newest song is being released tomorrow, 11-17-2023
Avi Kaplan
Healing.
Here is a very short of him as a quartet
Cost of Freedom (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
ruclips.net/user/shortsSTR8B6qBc3o
@@pamscarr8696 Thanks for the comments! Just checked out the short too - very cool
I’ve subscribed in hopes of more Pentatonix reactions. This one was great.
Thanks, Robin ☺As you can tell, I was blown away by this performance so 100% there'll be more Pentatonix reactions.
@@SirHairlessThey will blow you away time and time again. Heads up to you to prepare for the “Mitch Slaps”.
Welcome to the world of Pentatonix! You're going down the rabbit hole...
Thanks!
Welcome to the rabbit hole!
Enjoyed your reaction -- More please PTX!
Glad to hear it 😀There will be more coming!
Subbed for more PTX reactions. This was early on in their career. You’re in for a treat. Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole.
Thank you!!
The trio each have around a 5 octive range. Mitch and Kirtie can do whistle notes and Scott takes over bass when Avi/ Matt sing.
I think you said, ".. they could do anything ..."
That would be a Yes, literally 🔥💞🙌🏻
😅 the possibilities are endless
They all have massive vocal ranges!
Just a quick summary of their true ranges.
Scott is a Baritone. He does have about a 5 octave range, they all do actually, except Mitch who has 6. Scott have developed a very rich bass to be able to hold the bassline when the bass is in solo, yet he can lift off into the rafters as well.
Mitch is a true contratenor. So he can go into a baritone & then up into whistle notes. He is simply other dimensional lol. You will begin to hear the coined term Mitch-Slap, a lot.
Kirstie is a mezzo soprano. So she has the ability to have a husky smokey alto when needed but can belt up into the heavens, & also has a pocket full of whistle notes.
Matt is a lyrical bass (whereas Avi was a basso profundo) Matt has a chocolatey velvety warm bass which is only growing, & can belt & reach into tenor I believe, but has an amazing falsetto to the clouds.
Kevin is a Tenor. He actually didnt begin developing his singing voice until PTX, & now he can actually hit some of the highest AND PERFECTLY PITCHED, notes in PTX arrangements, which you will get to see sprinkled in here & there in between his vocal percussions, & occasional cello-boxing (beatbox & play cello simultaneously). Prpare to be, KO'd.
The PTX wall of sound is what it is because of their ability to interchange parts, their different vocal textures, & the true genuine chemistry & humility. Welcome to the rabbit hole sir!
Thanks for this! Love the information and detail you've provided.
You're right, I've already heard of the term Mitch-Slap and can't wait to experience my own for the first time 😂
@SirHairless I'm totally here for it! And they will all give you a moment here and there lol. Mitch-Slapped. KO'd. Scott Slayed. Kirstie Kicked. Avi-Lanched. Matt Bombed. We just love these alien unicorns❤️
@@TheInkdN3rd 😂👌
You have officially fallen into the Pentatonix rabbit hole!
The range of each singer is amazing and wide. You're in for a treat.
My recommendation is that you listen to all their "Sing Off" performances. It will help your understanding of the group dynamics.
Enjoy the "ear candy!" They are magic.
Pentatonix is a fantastic, tight, and inventive group when it comes to acapella. They and a few others (such as Voiceplay, Home Free, and Voctave) have their own niches in acapella performances. It should also be noted that they are an active part of arranging their own music (same with the other groups).
Beyond the normal rabbit hole for Pentatonix (Daft Punk medley, Sound of Silence, Hallelujah), a few songs highlighting different aspects of the group:
Mitch's high voice/vocal range: Aha! live
Kristie's high voice/vocal range: Seasons of Love
Scott's high voice/vocal range: Problem
Avi's vocal range: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Matt (new bass after Avi left) singing lead: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Musicality & ability to sing difficult arrangements: Favorite Things
Ability to transition from one song to another in medleys: Evolution of Music (medley), 90's Dance Medley, Evolution of Beyonce (medley), Evolution of Michael Jackson (medley)
Ability to sing/blend without any technology: Daft Punk live (in a green room, no mics, just the 5 of them lined up)
Kevin's beat boxing is always on point, and it shows well early with Daft Punk and changing the grooves in all the medley songs.
Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole! You won't be disappointed.
You're good. Very few first-timers even attempt to identify all the voices, except for maybe picking out the bass. And based on the limited evidence of this one performance, your assumptions were surprisingly accurate. Kudos on picking out Scott (the blond) as the one who goes very high at the end of the solo by Mitch (dark-haired tenor). Most people don't even mention it, or assume it's Kirstie because she's a girl. Now what you DON'T know--and can't know from just one performance--is that Scott is a baritone who can also sing tenor (as he did here) and bass (when the group's bass has a solo). You also have no way of knowing that Mitch didn't sing high at all in this song; that's his middle range. He's a countertenor. He'll soon blow you away! Also, Pentatonix (aka PTX) has a secret weapon: their beatboxer, Kevin, sings sometimes and possesses a gorgeous high tenor voice. And don't get me started on Avi, the bass, or this post will be twice as long. I just subscribed, in the hopes that you'll check out more PTX! You won't regret it.
Thanks, Jane! I've been hearing a lot that I can expect to be blown away by PTX for many different reasons, so I will be reacting to more PTX (whilst attempting a bit of an on-the-spot deep dive) for exactly this reason 🎶
I've filmed a few more reactions already as I was so flabbergasted by this performance. Next one comes out tomorrow ☺
@@SirHairless I'll be watching for it!
Subbed hoping for more PTX. As others have stated, they own Christmas and have gotten better every year. To gain more subs, I suggest Hallelujah official video. If you want to keep it live, Hallelujah during their Christmas Special.
Appreciate it 🙌 You can bet Hallelujah will be getting reacted to, hopefully soon!
All of the performances on the show were live. That was the whole point of the show - live a cappella performances.
Thanks ☺My brief questioning in this vid was more from an integrity perspective (as many artists mime/lip sync today), but I'm fully aware now that it's all live
What a delight to watch your very first exposure to Pentatonix ❤. I just discovered this reaction, I’ve watched many of your reactions to more current songs they’ve performed well after you had become intimately familiar with all their voices. I’m still impressed you can pick out the parts so quickly and Identify just who is singing what. I had to smile when, at the beginning, you said, “I hope they don’t botch this”. Being a professional musician having the musical discernment to properly adjudicate an a cappella group it’s understandable you had concern about a group you were unfamiliar with singing a song you really loved. However, by the end of the song you had realized this was a tremendously talented group and you asked for more suggestions from Pentaholics. Without a doubt, you were served ❤😂. Thanks for the great reaction, I always look forward to you pointing out things I simply cannot hear.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching 😊
Haha too right - definitely no botching happening here at the hands of PTX 🎶
This was 12 years ago. 3 Grammies (to date). The ONLY a capella group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Several world tours. Sold out concerts. Last month they dropped their latest (7th?) Xmas album. And only one member change... The bass in this video (Avi Kaplan) left in 2017 and has a flourishing solo career. Matt Sallee came in as the current bass.
Thanks for the info, Grace. Crazy that they have a Walk of Fame star!
Great first reaction and for recognizing who is doing what.
Thanks, Jim! This was very fun to react to - I really enjoyed figuring out who's doing what, and by the looks of it (with them switching parts and whatnot) they'll keep you on your toes 🎶
i hope you go on to check these out. the high tenor is is a natural counter tenor. he has a vocal range of over 5 octaves. they all have large ranges .the young man leading today does the bass when the bass is singing lead. you will not be sorry you 'checked them out'. they sing, write, arrange, and everything in m
between. they cover all genres
so check their list out and pick one . oh, the beat boxer has a voice that can sound like warm maple syrup
I think this was only the 4th Sing-Off episode. You should really react to them *IN ORDER* to see how fast and well they come together as a group. Technically this was only their 5th performance *EVER* as Pentatonix. They met Kevin (beatboxer) literally the day before the audition for this show. Your next reaction ‘Let’s Get It On’ (#10) is tied for 2nd place with ‘Born To Be Wild” (#7) in my list of favorites (just depends on my mood at the time). Everybody’s favorite is the last episode ‘Dog Days Are Over’, but to see and hear how they learn and grow together from the start is amazing. Remember, this is only their 5th time working together… *EVER* ! They have an extensive catalog of over 200 cover songs to react to. Another extensive catalog of over 200 Christmas songs to react to. And a growing catalog of original songs to react to. Not to mention their individual projects. Scott has his own channel. Mitch (as Messr) has his own channel. Scott and Mitch have a side channel called Super Fruit that is amazing. Avi has his own channel and projects now. And Kevin (KO) has his own channel. More pentaholics will find you quickly and start blowing your numbers up, so be prepared, but don’t panic. We may appear to be a rabid bunch, but we’re basically harmless and quite friendly. Most of us have been around for years and love to follow new reactors on your journey of discovery to live vicariously through you. Alan and Margaret are great sources of history and knowledge, so if you have questions seek them out. Welcome to the ranks of pentaholics, you’re in for a wild ride!
Hey Sonja, thanks for your informative comment and suggestions! I've been receiving a LOT of recommendations so it will be a little tricky to react to everything in order whilst reacting to the recommendations! So apologies in advance for that 😇 But what I do know is that I will eventually listen to all of their works, and I (bloody well hopefully) will enjoy them all 😂
I've had only pleasant interactions with Pentaholics thus far and am excited for the journey to continue 🎶
@@SirHairless I only meant you should try to react to the twelve *2011 Sing-Off* episodes in order. Obviously they won but they were the youngest, smallest and most newly formed group. How they managed to pull it all together so quickly is astounding...and you get a glimpse of that growth and co-operation in each consecutive episode. After that, there are the staple "beginner lists" of favorites, but pick what you like best. They haven't recorded a bad song yet. So better get busy! You're gonna be at this awhile. And great job responding to all the comments, but don't burn yourself out. As your numbers grow it's gonna become impossible!
@@sonjarussell7332 Ah I see! I can try from hereon but I may or may not have already recorded a couple more Sing-Off performance reactions😅But will try to do the remaining ones in order 👍
Thanks, I'm new to this and really enjoy the engagement so am trying to respond to everyone 🙏 If the numbers do grow then we can reassess then haha! As always, thanks for the comments :)
The tall blonde one Scott is hitting that high note in his head voice with her while she is in her Soprano.
Hey @musicfanatic6558, apologies if this isn't what you mean but I think there are 3 notes in that chord - Scott with the top note, then Kirstie with the middle, and then Mitch with the lowest of the notes (still high!)
Just subbed for more PTX they cover all genres even techno. You can't go wrong songs I didn't like or that got over played I love there version.
Thank you!! I will be reacting to more PTX don't you worry.
If you're interested in techno at all, here is my reaction to a very interesting techno/choral music hybrid, sampling French choral music from the 2004 film 'Les Choristes'
Scott, the blonde baritone, is doing falsetto. Kirstie is singing under Scott. Mitch is the black-haired high singer. Avi (AH-vee) with the black beard and black leather jacket is the bass. Kevin is the beatboxer. They have over 200 songs on their channel. I've heard most of them at least 50 times and never get bored. I see or hear something new every time. There are only a couple songs I don't care for, not to be named here. Their new holiday album "the Greatest Christmas Hits" has 8 songs at the end, which have never been released by them. My faves are their original "Please Santa Please" (Kirstie and Kevin wrote it), and a cover of "O Holy Night" that knocked my socks off. They are the kings and queens of Christmas and the holiday season. I can't wait to hear more of your Pentatonix (aka PTX) reactions. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks for the info, sounds like I got it right, phew! 😅 It's getting to that Christmas season so expect more reactions!
The thing with first-time reactions is there's so much to say in so little time, and as you point out, every time one comes back to listen again, new things are noticed!
Just subscribed. I hope you dive straight down the Pentatonix rabbit hole. Welcome!
❤🙌
I think you just had your first Mitch Slap. Trust me on that one. 😂❤
you should see their rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody
It's been recommended to me several times! Will definitely get round to it soon 🙌
Just found you tonight. Subbed for more PTX and home free! And you NEVER need apologize for rewinding, relistening, or giving commentary for PTX.
Thank you! PTX and Home Free will keep comin' so stay tuned
New subscriber 🙋🏻♀. Huge Pentatonix fan ( aka: Pentaholic). Loved your analysis of their performance. With your knowledge, you can appreciate their true talent. Looking forward to more PTX.
Thank you, Laura 👌🏽
I was college when this was out and your face and overall reaction is very nostalgic to how mindblown I was then! I used to use a youtube downloader to keep all their videos saved on my laptop in high res so I could watch it anytime I wanted. Wifi wasn't common then 😅
Shoutout to RUclips downloaders
The products of youtube-to-mp3 converters made up most of my iPod before I made the switch to Spotify in 2019 😂
The Beat Boxer Kevin has a very high range also
Will be interesting to hear this when I get round to a song that has him singing!
I love it when a real musician finds PTX. It's great to hear the analysis of their sounds which we all love by instinct without always being able to put it into technical terms. Love it! I think you would really enjoy watching their documentary, Making of Evergreen. It follows their production of the 2021 Christmas album, which was nominated for a Grammy, although it didn't win this time. 😢
I saw a suggestion to see Gold, which I totally agree with. It's one of my favorites to show off everyone's talents. Imagine will blow your socks off and you'll hear how incredible Kevin's voice is; something we don't often get to hear because he's so vital to their sound as a beatboxer. Thanks for talking this journey and sharing it with us! I've subscribed for more fantastic insights into PTX
Thank you for your kind words ☺
My reaction to Gold will be coming out next week so stay tuned!
Now you know why they're good!!!
Another new Pentatonix fan here, new sub~ Enjoying the journey!
Thanks, Cathy!!
@@SirHairless You're welcome!
this is such a funny choice for a first pentatonix reaction lmao
Hey! As I say at the start, it was recommended to me, and I think that it turned out be a good choice - right at the beginning of their journey!
@@SirHairless it was a great reaction! im binging your channel right now
Thank you @@priscillamcrmy 🙏 Hope you enjoy!
Welcome to our world. Greetings from South Africa
Hello to you all the way over there!
Not sure it was mentioned, but when Avi has a lead section Scott will take over the bass line. (see Hallelujah, it's more noticeable on the live Christmas version). Also, you'll see that Avi has been replaced by Matt as bass in later videos. Avi Kaplan is doing solo work now.
Thanks for the info. Scott covering the bass line (surely he can't go as low as Avi?!) and also singing the top parts above Kirstie?? Versatile.
I adore, ADORE that you're delighted at Mitch's range here. He, as you probably know by now, is not even trying, there :D. For the Sing-Off, the very best performances in my opinion are: Born to be Wild (there are a few moments that are jawdropping, including the very start) and Dog Days are Over (where you find out that Avi can do overtones!! I firmly believe that the judges spoke about it but realized they had to cut it for the show because it's complicated to explain and might come across imperfectly). Thanks for this, can't wait for you to truly hear the range of both Avi and Mitch! Honestly Scott and Kirsten both have really stellar ranges too, though I'm glad nowadays that she feels more comfortable singing in her vibrant alto. Her use of vibrato is so gorgeous-- one person described it as though she tosses the note out there and pulls it back with a shiver at the end.
Thanks :) I'll get round the all the Sing Off performances eventually, very much looking forward to it! Sometimes I prefer the raw, live performances as they're...well...so much rawer than music that undergoes various enhancements in post-production.
That's a great description of her vibrato!
On Avi's overtones, there is an earlier performance in which he does this (reaction coming soon), but I'll keep that hushed for now
Another Pentaholic here! Subscribed for your musical analysis of PTX (Pentatonix)
Thanks! The journey's just started so happy to have you along for the ride :D I've done a handful of other PTX reactions if you want to check them out - all in the acapella playlist on my channel
"They can sing anything"
should be stitched on a pillow LOL
Subbed for more! Can't wait to see where you go on this journey and I'm here for it!
Thanks!!
Hallelujah video and live from them is the best
I just subbed in the hopes that you will go all the way down with PTX, yes all 225 or so performances, not a single one of which is a loser. Would love to see you stay with early performances like this one first, so that you can watch the group and each individual within the group grow into the superstars they are today.
Appreciate it! I'm trying to do a good mix of old and new(er) performances, but I'm sticking to the Avi era for now! So all pre-2017ish
Please keep reacting to PTX and we’ll come
Haha I've already received quite a lot of their songs to react to 😅I'll do my best! Blown away by this performance so it's a sign of good things to come
The lead tenor as you referred to him is a true, natural counter tenor. The highest voice in the group.
Kevin and Avi had only met each other the day before the auditions, but roomed together during the SingOff. This enhanced their ability to practice working together. Much later in their careers, Kevin commented that they were so attuned to working together that they each knew when the other one had to take a breath and could seamlessly cover for each other.
Love your reaction and analysis ❤️
Thank you!
New sub!! More PTX please 🙏🏼🙌🏼
~Pentaholic from Louisiana
Appreciate you!
BabyTonix! ❤ The Trio were only 19 years old at this time (Mitch missed his high school graduation to be in this show)! And Avi & Kevin were only a year or 2 older than them!
I would love to see you react to Sugar Plum Fairy. Imagine acapella in a song without words.
This will be coming out closer to Christmas!
I love their Daft Punk mash up too! It's quite excellent, and gives a good overview of whose voice is singing what part. It's beautifully done, and the video editing 10 our of 10! New subscriber here, so maybe you've reacted to it already, I'm still working my way through your videos.
I can't wait to get around to it - it's been recommended a lot!
I'm now better-acquainted with PTX, this was my first one 🎶 You'll see in a few of my other reactions to them I've done sectional transcriptions too. Thanks for watching!
Wait till you hear Avi.. the Basses ful range
Keep doing Pentatonix reaction videos, and your sub count will skyrocket!! I promise. 😊
I'm loving PTX so I do plan on it 🎶
You aint seen nuttin yet. Subbing for more PTX. Enjoy the rabbit hole.
Haha thanks! And that's what everyone is telling me 👀 I'm sure I will!
@@SirHairless ;)
Pause at 5:36 for your new desktop background.
Check out this reaction to < Pentatonix: Let's Get It On > next! ruclips.net/video/A11YM55YHKw/видео.html
More Pentatonix please
Videos will be coming! Feel free to check out my second reaction (live now), to Let's Get It On, here: ruclips.net/video/A11YM55YHKw/видео.html
Sorry this is so long. One thing to remember is that 3 members have a 5 octave range, I don't know about Kevin, (the beatboxer) because he doesn't sing that much (I do prefer his normal tenor voice to his falsetto, but what do I know), that leaves Mitch, our boy Mitch has at least a 6.5 octave, (top note around B7) and probably more, he's a natural counter-tenor but he refuses to let others know his true top or bottom note. Part of that is he's afraid he'll hurt his voice, which I can understand. There has only been one personal change that was in 2017, Avi Kaplan the bass singer left for various reasons, and Matt Sallee came on board. The face most people make when they hear Mitch's voice is called a Mitch Slap.
Black guy Kevin beatboxer Tenor very wide vocal range
Lead (this song) Scott Baritone, covers bass when bass has lead, up to upper tenor
Kirsty (rhymes with thirsty) Mezzo-soprano
Bass Avi (AHH-vee) Basso-Profundo
Thanks for the info, haha I guess watch out for my Mitch Slap in future reactions 😂
I'm not sure (yet) if people are really aware of the vocal versatility required to be able to cover other parts, not only having the range to do so, but the timbre and technique too - it blows my mind how they can do it!
@@SirHairless I understand why you picked this song, but it wasn't exactl the best to start with, anything outside of the Sing-Off will be great.You are right abut the talent it takes to go from being lead, to being background support, an d back. When you hear their whole story you will be amazed.
This is giving a suggestion, but also explain how they got to this point,
I'm sure others will hit on this, but anyway. They won the Sing-Off prizes were $200K and a recording contract They had lost their recording contract because the company didn't think accepella was worth doing (they did come back a few years later and re-signed them. Anyway, being broke and just getting started, they spent their last $400, and made a deal with a brand-new post/editing company, (The company would do this one free, and PTX would use them exclusively for so long, and would list them as the Post company as much as possible Free advertising) then they went to
Avi and Kevin's apartment, each one went in a closet by themselves, and recorded their vocals, then they hung blackout curtains in either the kitchen or a bedroom I've heard both from reliable sources, and recorded the visuals, and then did post on Avi's iPad, which is what they recorded everything on. Put it on YT and won a Grammy. There is some debate over exactly what it cost, and where it happened, etc... I may not be right on everything, so if you hear something better go with it, this is just what I"ve heard, as I said reliable sources, people that were either there, or personally know the members.
There is a list of the song, and if you have problem believing what you hear, a live version, and even a verson recorded as part of the Make A Wish Foundation, the do the song with no mics at all. If you don’t know Daft Punk you may first want to listen to 15-20 seconds of 2 or 3 of their songs to understand what is going on. There is one more link, it is an original song that is similar, and a live no mic verson.
Daft Punk ruclips.net/video/3MteSlpxCpo/видео.html
Live 2022 ruclips.net/video/a8PZ7_KMGM4/видео.html
Private ruclips.net/video/tw4YCsHXKgI/видео.html
------------------------
Love Again
ruclips.net/video/F80FsZDTgn0/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/GyRiez6UKAI/видео.html
@@Contridiction-vp3fv wow, quite incredible! A risk that paid off massively for them ey. Thanks again for this additional info 👍
Thank you for the recommendations and for providing me with the links 😀I will hold off from listening to any PTX recordings right now because I'd like my first time hearing them to be a live reaction, but I've received the Daft Punk request several times already so I will definitely hear it soon!
@@SirHairless Again I'm sorry if I'm overloading you with information. But one more thing, I really hate saying this because I'm not 100% sure of the exacct time line, but When Kevin actually joined the group, it was almost too late. Scott contacted Kevin about joining the group,
Kevin said he would like too, but he had to graduate college Yale pre-med first. So a week later, Kevin called Scott back and said I'm in. By the time he flew to L.A., they only had time to practice in person one time before taking the stage in the competition, Seems like I heard if his plane had been delayed, he would have missed the cut-off time, and they would not have been able to compete. I want to say he got there late on Sunday, and recording started on Monday. He passed Pre-med with a 4.0. But makes his living beatboxing, and I think he made the right choice. If someone gives you a different timeline, go with it, my memory isn't real great.
@@Contridiction-vp3fv Woah! Talk about cutting it fine!!
You honestly have to do their Hallelujah 😢❤....and yes the higher parts are him😅
New here please react to pentatonix songs new rules. Love again daft punk . gold. Sing. The prayer. Pompeii. Perfume medley. The sound of silence. Can you feel the love tonight. Cheer leader. Rather, be. mitch can go very high
Hey, thanks for these recommendations 👍
Because it was a Contest show every group had to arrange (choreograph, etc.) their own performance. When I heard Pentatonix' first performance (a cover of "ET", by Katy Perry), which was in the second week of the show; they were so much better than the other groups, I thought they had to be "ringers" added to make the show better... Needless to say they were not!!
Have you heard them sing Florence and the Machine "Dog Days Are Over?"
Not yet! I understand that's their last Sing Off performance, so I'll get round to it eventually! Hoping to do their other performances first
@SirHairless I just found you today, and I like your style. I think it would be interesting if you reviewed Disturbed's cover of "The Sound of Silence.." Lead singer of heavy metal band, David Draiman, is classically trained as a cantor.
PTX 🔥🤘
I'm just popping in to recommend you add Home Free to your list of groups to react to. And then Voiceplay completes the amazing trio of acapella groups (of course there are many others).
Home Free won the Sing Off competition in one of the following seasons..
Thanks, Michael - they're both on my list as I've received the same recommendations several times already! Especially "Ring of Fire" featuring Pentatonix's (ex) bass, Avi? It's on my list so stay tuned!
@@SirHairless great to hear. There are hundreds of covers and originals on their channel, and many clips of them live in concert, if you want to see their 'raw' performance..'9 to 5 breakdown' is a favourite of mine.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥