Welcome to all the new and regular viewers alike. This is a safe place! Take a seat, grab a beverage and enjoy my monotone and chill reaction to one of your favorite groups 😅 appreciate you watching. Please let me know if I should continue with this pentatonix journey. Just need to know theres an audience.
If you decide to continue down this rabbit hole you should expect a huge increase in subscriptions. The RUclips algorithm has many faults, but it knows enough to put ANY Pentatonix reactions on the home pages of pentaholics, and we always click on those reactions. The first thing I did after clicking on this reaction was to click on Subscribe. The second thing I did was to click on the bell. All BEFORE actually watching your reaction, and I strongly suspect I'm not the only one.
Wait until you heard official video of Hallelujah. In fact, ALL their songs are incredible. Also listen to them LIVE. They sound just as good. You will become a Pentaholic shortly!!!!
You should definitely continue your Pentatonix journey. Given your comments about the group’s composition, I think you would enjoy their video for Imagine. Would love to see your reaction to that one!
Pentatonix, with very few exceptions, doesn't do anything in their videos that then can't replicate live. And yes, I've seen them in concert. Believe it.
In every review (and I watch them all), everyone says they do the song BETTER than the covers. You will find out. Amazing Grace. This YT Hallelujah live is incredible also: Hallelujah - Pentatonix (From A Pentatonix Christmas Special). AND WATCH THEIR OFFICIAL DAFT PUNK. It will blow your mind. Guaranteed!
I agree. The live version is has "Vevo" in the title (it's recorded in one of the amazing Vevo Live spaces) released in December 2023 - much more current. It's makes for a better reaction than the studio version which is also on their channel.
You are in for the ride of your life. Left to right, Matt, Kirstie, Scott, Mitch, Kevin. Kevin is their beat boxer extraordinaire. He also sings and plays cello. I’ve seen them live and they sound every bit as good live. Keep going! You’ve only just begun!!
Mitch, the black haired, slim guy, is singing in his lower register in this video. They have three Grammy's. Their first was for their 'Daft Punk Medley'. The second was for 'Sugar Plum Fairy', a song without words, done by a group without instruments. And the third was for thei collaboration with Dolly Parton doing 'Jolene'. Kevin the beatboxer, rarely sings as he is the complete percusion section, but when he does, he has a light beautiful tenor voice.
Scott (1st soloist) is the baritone. Mitch (2nd soloist) is a tenor. Matt (3rd soloist) is the bass. Kirstin (4th soloist) is the mezzo soprano. Kevin (5th member) is the beat boxer, a tenor and cellist. Kirstin, Scott and Mitch were friends in highschool and found Kevin and Avi (original bass) to compete on "The Sing off". Pentatonix have both a recorded and live version of "Hallelujah" on RUclips.
Hi there. To answer a couple of your wonderings during the video: the tall blonde singer in the middle, Scott, brought the group together in 2011 to compete on The Sing-Off, an acapella competition show. He invited his friends Mitch (high-register male singer) and Kirstin (female singer) to come on the show with him. They had been friends for years and sung together throughout high school. To round out the group, they found their original bass, Avi, through mutual friends and the beatboxer through a viral video he had posted to RUclips where he was beatboxing while playing cello at the same time. Avi left the group in 2017 and Matt (the bass in this video) joined soon after. This is the only change to the members. Matt can really do that with his voice. I'm hoping I'm here early enough to beat the commenters who will INSIST that Pentatonix never ever uses post production or records anything they can't reproduce 100% the same live. They do use pitch correction and sometimes add effects to their vocals in studio recordings. However, their talent is absolutely the real deal and they are absolutely stunning live. Even though the live arrangements are sometimes slightly altered to work around times that the studio recordings use some effects or some multitracking, they do not at all sound lacking in comparison and their live versions are often the fan favorite versions.
@@counterreactionThey have three versions of Hallelujah on their channel. 1. A music vid, done in a desert to their studio recording. Currently sitting at 738 million views. 2. A live concert vid, done around the same time. Comparing the two, you can see that there's not that much dropoff between their live work and studio recordings. And you can see Scott taking over the bassline on verse 2 when Avi takes lead. 3. A more recent concert vid, after Matt replaced Avi. Slightly different, but still excellent. * Yes, altho Kevin Olusola is the beatboxer and occasional cellist, he also sings leads occasionally. You can hear him on Mary Did You Know, and on Amazing Grace. And on his solo YT channel, you can watch him do amazing looping stuff in his studio, such as his cover of Down.
You HAVE TO react to Avi Kaplan, one of the original members. He has some new songs in the past few months in addition to throughout the past several years.
Pentatonix and Home Free were the 2 best acapella groups to come out of The Sing Off.. That was a great show, btw.. I don't even really like country music but, man, you can't beat an amazing acapella group. Avi Kapland's and Tim Foust's voices are straight up insane. Tim Foust has also been doing some solo stuff recently (kind of) of doo wop music.
Ben Bran mentioned the one studio “trick” they’ll occasionally use is stacking, or layering, vocal tracks. Not to add notes, but to give the sound a bigger presence.
“PTX’s unparalleled vocal abilities are only exceeded by the quality of their humanity.” The virtuosity of their performances are apparent. What takes time to appreciate is the love shared: PTX -> Fans Fans -> PTX Fans -> Fans Fans -> Venue Staff No bad words in their songs. No songs that disrespects anyone. They’ll frequently tear up when thanking their fans from stage. They’re good people.
Oh yeah - you really MUST do Bohemian Rhapsody!!! It will blow your socks off!!!!! Always watch official video first then find them live for comparison to see they are SPOT ON in every video.
Black guy on the left, Matt, bass. Female is Kirsten, mezzo soprano. Blonde is Scott. He's a baritone that covers the bass when the bass has lead. He has an incredible range. Mitch is a counter tenor. He's the guy to Scott's right. The human 808 is Kevin. He is a tenor and the beat boxer. He also plays cello while beat boxing.
FYI...Pentatonix has over 20 MILLION subscribers and over 6 BILLION viewings of thei videos. Also, they sound exactly like this in their live performances.
PTX- GOATS of a capella imo. I’ve heard them in concert twice in the last two years and listened to them daily since 2021. Yes they sound amazing live, and Matt (the bass) does go that low. Yes, watch Bohemian Rhapsody and Pure Imagination and then about 300 others.. and yes, Kevin (beat-boxer, cello player, saxophone player, multi-lingual, former Yale pre-med, nicest guy with the most humble heart and best laugh) does sing, too. 😊
Kirstin, Scott, and Mitch, the three in the middle, went to high school together. They found Kevin through a viral video of him playing cello while simultaneously beatboxing. Matt, in the white jacket, was found in a Nationwide search to replace the original bass singer Avi Kaplan who amicably left because the group’s success was having a negative impact on his wellbeing and family life.
Kevin is _usually_ too busy beatboxing, but at points where the percussion is tacit, he can either fill in the 5th pitch of a modern chord, do an ad lib, or even briefly take the lead.
OMG! A new Pentatonix reactor! I love you already! You have not even touched the whole world that is Pentatonix! I just subbed in hopes of more Pentatonix reactions and to enjoy your trip down this rabbit hole 🕳! And FYI - They sound even better live! 💖 No 16 yr old fan girl here! I'm 71 and just love great talent! 😊
I saw them during this tour and they do sound exactly like this! Absolutely incredible 😊 The three in the middle basically grew up together, have been singing together for forever. They found the other two on RUclips, I believe
Subbing for more Pentatonix reactions. They have so much material. Their whole thing is "We will never make a song/video if we don't sound identical to it live.
Kirstin’s father is Mexican, Kevin beatboxes and also sings beautifully. Others are telling you the origin story but I will tell you that I’ve seen this song performed live and if anything, I think it was even better. Yes, Matt did the voice thing, lol! Check out their very recent live VEVO studio video cover of Kiss From a Rose. It’s incredible.
Welcome to the long winding road of Pentatonix, you are in for the journey of your life 😊 Pentatonix never ceases to amaze me, at just how incredibly talented they are, and take their voices to newer levels, we have never heard before.....there is something so special about their ability, to tell the songs story, allowing us to listen with a new perspective, and hear & feel emotions, we may not have heard from the original artist 💖💖💖 Not only their voices, but their delivery is also their gift! Also, Pentatonix is one of those rare groups, that actually sound as good, or even better live, & would love you to react to their live version of Hallelujah: ruclips.net/video/haFHrfmfHbc/видео.html Just for their versatility alone, I would love you to react to their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody, Imagine, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Creep, Say Something, & Daft Punk 😊
Pentatonix a "brief" background. 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. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list! 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. 4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
Absolutely amazing I am obsessed A cappella at this level gives me goosebumps Also, please hit up Home Free Man of sorrow is a good one Also, their collaboration with the Oak Ridge boys, Elvira that’s just a super fun when there is no way you can’t just be smiling all the way through But taking nothing away from this amazing group.
Right off the cuff, Pentatonix has won three Grammys. They also have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They are the only acapella group to achieve this. So you pretty much can assume that what you're hearing is legit and is their voices. They are world reknown, literally. There is a story about how it all started, but I'm sure that someone else will fill you in on that. As you listen to them more, the questioning of if what you're hearing is legitimately all them will disappear. Maybe about 2 to 3% of their music will incorporate an instrument now and then, but it is indeed rare. The more you listen to the group and learn about them, the more your questions will be answered. In short, they are amazing and a very down to earth and personable group of people. Welcome to Pentatonix, also known as PTX. And yes, please do listen to Bohemian Rhapsody. Your mind will be blown.
Pentatonix History…..composed by Alan Freeman updated by Perry Stevenson 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 acappella 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. 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. 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. The 3 Grammys they’ve won include….(1)Daft Punk for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella……(2)Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella….(3) Jolene w/Dolly Parton for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album “Evergreen” for Best Traditional Vocal Album. They were also nominated for a 5th Grammy award for their album “Holidays Around The World” for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only acapella group with a star! UPDATE: Pentatonix has done a cameo appearance in the new movie “Candy Cane Lane” starring Eddie Murphy. They are the carolers. UPDATE: They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. 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! 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. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong “Pentaholics” will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha 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 auto-tune 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.
welcome to the enchanted rabbit hole known as pentatonix. they have a very massive catalog on songs ranging from covers (they don't do covers..they do upgrades) to original songs. An issue you will run into...youtube blocks some of their videos....just put some sort of filter in the video itself...then you'll be ok. I'll give you a very few recomendations...daft punk, bohemian rhapsody, jolerne with/dolly parton, mad world, kiss from a rose (live vevo), the wizard of ahhhs (a collection of modern pop songs arranged to tell the classic story of wizard of oz)...ENJOY
I first saw them on The Sing-Off. I couldn't believe that sound could come from only 5 people. Those were live performances, and yes, they were that good.
Scott - tall blonde guy (covers bass when Matt is singing) Mitch- high tenor Kevin- beat boxer and cello player Kirsten - female Matt (guy in white jacket) - bass and yes all their actual voices. They sound the same if not better live. Scott, Mitch and Kirsten are childhood friends. They found Kevin on RUclips. Matt joined the group after the original bassist,Avi Kaplan, left the group. Other songs: Hallelujah Bohemian Rhapsody Amazing Grace (Kevin sings) Aha! Live from Singapore The Prayer Daft Punk Just to name a couple. The rabbit hole is deep
Scott Hoying the Baritone and first singer, Mitch Grassi the Counter Tenor and second singer and Kirsten Maldonado the Mezzo Soprano. Have know each other since high school. In 2010 or 2011 they wanted to be on the show the Sing Off which they won. But they needed a Beat Boxer and a Bass. Kevin Olusola is the Beat Boxer Avi Kaplin used to be the Bass but left the group in 2017. That same year Matt Sallee came onboard as their Bass. Kevin Olusola does sing and has in some of their videos. I have seen them twice live once in 2018 and this past September. They sound exactly the same live.
They are just as good live. Actually, they are better live. They have an absolutely unbelievable energy about them when they are live that I have never seen duplicated with any band. Hope you do more Pentatonix and do a deep dive into the rabbit hole! You are in for a treat. The beatboxer can absolutely sing and does at times in songs, but he is a talent on another level. His name is Kevin, graduated from Yale (I think) pre-med and he plays the cello, saxophone and speaks multiple languages. His solo stuff is another rabbit hole altogether. YES, YES, YES, you need to check out Pure Imagination/Christmastime is Here!!! It is a current release and it is just magical.
They sound awesome live too! Look up some of the videos online from their September 2022 Hollywood Bowl concert. (I have seen them twice live for the holiday concerts, and then live for pop covers and original songs in August 2023.). Kirstin Maldonado is Latina, Mexican + Italian/Spanish. The Trio (Kirstin, Scott Hoying - blond baritone, and Mitch Grassi, the high tenor whose voice you admired) are from Arlington, Texas, and more or less grew up together in local community theater, eventually ending up at the same high school, where they started performing a capella together . Beatboxer Kevin Olusola (who also plays cello and sings tenor) and the original bass (Avi Kaplan, who left in 2017) joined them when the group needed five performers for The Sing-Off, a TV a capella competition show in 2011. After Avi left, the group held blind auditions and picked Matt Sallee, whom you heard/saw here. That is Matt's actual voice. Regarding your comment about them staying in their lanes - actually, they have tremendously overlapping ranges, and Mitch can get easily higher than you heard here - he usually sings alto to Kirstin's soprano, although their upper ranges are very similar. If you watch carefully in this song, you can see Scott doing the bassline while Matt has his solo. If you want to hear Mitch go really high, check out The Prayer.
I love PTX. Seeing and hearing them live is an experience to say the least. I love PTX. But they definitely sound different live. 100% not the same. Some might even argue they are even better live. Some may say worse. I say they sound just as good live. But definitely different than the studio versions.
If you want to see a great live concert check out the Popspring 2016 concert. Their original bass singer Avi is with them in the Concert. Scott is the blonde, Mitch is the guy with the amazing high voice, Kirstin is the female, Kevin is the best boxer, & Matt is their new bass. They are all truly amazing and talented people!! You need to check out more of their videos. You won’t be disappointed going down the PTX rabbit hole!!
They sound identical live. Yes, they are that good. You can find live performances of Hallelujah and many other songs they do that are just as great as the video. Try a few of those before judging.
It's so nice to have a new reviewer of the discography of Pentatonix. They are incredibly good and as you continue, you will come to understand just how great they are. Just a suggestion: you might want to watch their creative performances as contestants on the TV show Sing Off. They eventually won Season 4.
Welcome to the Pentaverse! #1 singer is Scott...the baritone with a wild range. #2 singer is Mitch, a tenor with an amazingly high range. #3 is Matt, the bass of the group, with a voice like melted chocolate, #4 is Kirstie (rhymes with thirsty) who is a mezzo soprano and is a Latina. Kevin, on the far right is principally their beat boxer, but he can sing and has an amazing range as well. He also plays a mean cello, which he does in some of their songs as accompaniment. He can also play the cello and beat box at the same time, called cello-boxing. I just subbed. Keep those Pentatonix aka PTX reactions coming.
ive seen them live 3 times- they are even better live. they have 4 grammys and a star on hollywood boulevard. they are PEHNOMENAL! Kevin is the beatboxer, mitch is the counter-tenor, Scott is the barritone, Kirstie is, well, Kirstie- mezzo-soprano and Matt is the bass.... keep going down the PTX rabbit hole- you won't be disappointed..
Ooo ooo I get so excited when I find a new PTX rabbit hole to go down! 🎉🎉🎉 lets go! Im here for it! Also! Hey! Welcome to the Pentaholics 😊❤😊 There are so many to check out, If you'd like an original to check out I would suggest the pop spring 2016 live performance (3 originals and their evolution of Michael Jackson) and love again but the music video.. its a vibe🎉 ❤
Pentaholics will flock to your channel. We love a new reactor. Yes that's his voice. .1st singer Scott (baritone),2nd mitch (countertenor),3rd matt(bass), 4th kirstin (mezzo soprano). Beat boxer is kevin but he also sings aswell. Yes they're acapella. They have won 3 grammys. They also have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame . Highly recommend bohemian rhapsody. That has their original bass (avi kaplin ) in it but that's the only line up change. By the way that's mitch singing in his mid to lower register. He can get way higher than that. Recommend the prayer by them but you can't really go wrong. One thing though their record company is renowned for copyright issues. Most reactors tend to get round this by either making the video more transparent or placing some kind of filter on it , most of us have seen it 100s of times anyway it's your reaction we're interested in .kirstin is latina by the way ( fathers Mexican I believe. ) ❤
Found you through a youtube suggestion. I appreciate your reaction style. Subscribed! I've seen Pentatonix live and they are even more amazing in person. If you plan to explore further, you have a LOT to choose from. As others have suggested, check out their live Vevo performance of Kiss From a Rose. A couple of my (many) favorites are their original Love Again - you'll see their original bass, Avi Kaplan - and 90s Dance Medley. Also an early one, Radioactive (Kevin celloboxes: plays and beatboxes simultaneously.) Also. . .well, you'll see, if you decide to continue down the PTX rabbit hole.
I have seen them in concert here in Australia .. and yes that bass is real and his name is Matt. You will notice Scott ( the first singer in the long coat) taking over the bass as Matt sings the higher notes in his part.
My first experience with this group was on an award show several yrs ago was them doing the Star Wars theme. 🤯 AMAZING!! Have been hooked ever since! Love them! My favorite, most moving/goose bumps head to toe is Hallelujah!! Check those out!! Would love to hear your reactions to those.
Yes, he’s completely a cappella and Kevin is the boxer, but he also is a singer and plays the cello and flute. In older videos, you will see a different bass. His name was Avi Kaplan but he left the group because he couldn’t tour you will see Scott Mitch Kirsty, who have been together singing since high school, welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole! You will need excellent here headphones to hear everything appropriately
From left to right: Matt is the current bass, so yes, that was his voice. Kirstin (Kirsty rhymes with thirsty, to her friends and fans) is a soprano, but she can go down to the alto range. Scott is a baritone with quite a range. When the bass has his solo, Scott covers the bass. Mitch is a counter tenor, with the voice of an angel. Kevin is the beat boxer, so he doesn't sing very often, but when he does, he has a beautiful tenor voice. Avi, not in this video, is the original bass. He is a basso profundo.
Kevin (KO) the gent to the right, is a human beat box. he also does special effects, sings, and plays cello beautifully. Scott (the tall blond) found Kevin on RUclips. Scott, Mitch, & Kirstie have been bffs since they were lil kids in Texas. Kirstie is Latina (since you asked). We miss Avi like crazy, but Matt, the group's 2nd bass, is a wonderful addition. No one will ever replace Avi, but Matt is family now & he brings his own gifts to the group.
New subscriber, here for Pentatonix. If you would like to explore more, please check out Bohemian Rhapsody as well as their Daft Punk medley (for which they won their first Grammy) and their juggernaut video of Hallelujah (something like 630 million views). You will notice one change in their line-up over the years. Matt Sallee, the current bass in the white jacket at the far left, joined in 2017 when original bass Avi Kaplan left the group. Kirstie (the woman) and Mitch (second from the right) have changed their looks a lot, but it’s always them. Their cover of John Lennon’s Imagine is a good video that celebrates the diversity within the group. Peace from Ohio … I meant to add, there are a bunch of live performances on RUclips as well as official videos from the band.
Kirstin Maldonado is mostly Mexican with a bit of Spanish/Italian. Her, Scott(blonde) and Mitch(mullet) are childhood friends from Texas. The other two guys were recruited a bit later
Sorry, but to add to what you just commented on, they are absolutely insane. Live! These people have excellent amazing voices and that’s all they use end of story.
I have watched them live multiple times and they sound even better than on a recording! And yes that is Matt voice going deep he is the bass of the group. However when Matt is singing Scott the tall blond does the bass line!
The Three in the middle are from Texas (Kirsty, Scott and Mitch) The Bass ( Matt) on the left is from Maryland, and The Beat Boxer (Kevin) is from Kentucky.
Welcome to all the new and regular viewers alike. This is a safe place! Take a seat, grab a beverage and enjoy my monotone and chill reaction to one of your favorite groups 😅 appreciate you watching. Please let me know if I should continue with this pentatonix journey. Just need to know theres an audience.
If you decide to continue down this rabbit hole you should expect a huge increase in subscriptions. The RUclips algorithm has many faults, but it knows enough to put ANY Pentatonix reactions on the home pages of pentaholics, and we always click on those reactions.
The first thing I did after clicking on this reaction was to click on Subscribe. The second thing I did was to click on the bell. All BEFORE actually watching your reaction, and I strongly suspect I'm not the only one.
Wait until you heard official video of Hallelujah. In fact, ALL their songs are incredible. Also listen to them LIVE. They sound just as good. You will become a Pentaholic shortly!!!!
Yes, please!
You should definitely continue your Pentatonix journey. Given your comments about the group’s composition, I think you would enjoy their video for Imagine. Would love to see your reaction to that one!
Yes they are great group. Seen them in concert.
The "secret" of Pentatonix is that they won't record anything they can't reproduce in a live performance. They are this good.
This includes "Bohemian Rhapsody", which I have heard them do live (with Matt; the original MV was with Avi).
Pentatonix, with very few exceptions, doesn't do anything in their videos that then can't replicate live. And yes, I've seen them in concert. Believe it.
Amen ❤
I saw them in 2013 in a dive bar. They can do it all live. It’s almost obscene how skilled they are, and his much they’ve grown.
The bass? Matt...the black guy on the far left...and YES, that's his voice - he's the group's bass.
They sound just as good, or better live. I've seen them live 4 times.
Its always said Pentatonix does not do covers, they do upgrades.
In every review (and I watch them all), everyone says they do the song BETTER than the covers. You will find out. Amazing Grace. This YT Hallelujah live is incredible also: Hallelujah - Pentatonix (From A Pentatonix Christmas Special). AND WATCH THEIR OFFICIAL DAFT PUNK. It will blow your mind. Guaranteed!
Their live performances are amazing. The same, if not better.
If you want "mic'd up" react to Kiss From A Rose. It is live and it will blow you away!!
I agree. The live version is has "Vevo" in the title (it's recorded in one of the amazing Vevo Live spaces) released in December 2023 - much more current. It's makes for a better reaction than the studio version which is also on their channel.
They are incredible live. They do NOT use auto tune.
@@occamsrazor5376 Except in the 90's Dance medley, where they used it briefly in tribute to the original.
⬆️ this ⬆️
You are in for the ride of your life. Left to right, Matt, Kirstie, Scott, Mitch, Kevin. Kevin is their beat boxer extraordinaire. He also sings and plays cello. I’ve seen them live and they sound every bit as good live. Keep going! You’ve only just begun!!
They sound amazing live!
Yes to all
Mitch, the black haired, slim guy, is singing in his lower register in this video.
They have three Grammy's. Their first was for their 'Daft Punk Medley'. The second was for 'Sugar Plum Fairy', a song without words, done by a group without instruments. And the third was for thei collaboration with Dolly Parton doing 'Jolene'.
Kevin the beatboxer, rarely sings as he is the complete percusion section, but when he does, he has a light beautiful tenor voice.
And Kevin is a World-Class cellist.
They are wonderful live. Yes Matt has a deep voice
I have seen them in concert 3 times, and they are almost more impressive live because you get the raw, real emotion!
I saw them live one year ago in Vienna (Europe, Austria). They were great and also gave the audience great time!
Scott (1st soloist) is the baritone. Mitch (2nd soloist) is a tenor. Matt (3rd soloist) is the bass. Kirstin (4th soloist) is the mezzo soprano. Kevin (5th member) is the beat boxer, a tenor and cellist.
Kirstin, Scott and Mitch were friends in highschool and found Kevin and Avi (original bass) to compete on "The Sing off".
Pentatonix have both a recorded and live version of "Hallelujah" on RUclips.
Kiss from a rose is a must!!!
Their live shows and videos are amazing
I’ve seen them live. They’re awesome.
No music their voices are the music they are phenomenal ✌️
Actual voice
Hi there. To answer a couple of your wonderings during the video: the tall blonde singer in the middle, Scott, brought the group together in 2011 to compete on The Sing-Off, an acapella competition show. He invited his friends Mitch (high-register male singer) and Kirstin (female singer) to come on the show with him. They had been friends for years and sung together throughout high school. To round out the group, they found their original bass, Avi, through mutual friends and the beatboxer through a viral video he had posted to RUclips where he was beatboxing while playing cello at the same time. Avi left the group in 2017 and Matt (the bass in this video) joined soon after. This is the only change to the members.
Matt can really do that with his voice. I'm hoping I'm here early enough to beat the commenters who will INSIST that Pentatonix never ever uses post production or records anything they can't reproduce 100% the same live. They do use pitch correction and sometimes add effects to their vocals in studio recordings. However, their talent is absolutely the real deal and they are absolutely stunning live. Even though the live arrangements are sometimes slightly altered to work around times that the studio recordings use some effects or some multitracking, they do not at all sound lacking in comparison and their live versions are often the fan favorite versions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to fill me in, it is appreciated beyond measure ❤️
@@counterreactionThey have three versions of Hallelujah on their channel.
1. A music vid, done in a desert to their studio recording. Currently sitting at 738 million views.
2. A live concert vid, done around the same time. Comparing the two, you can see that there's not that much dropoff between their live work and studio recordings. And you can see Scott taking over the bassline on verse 2 when Avi takes lead.
3. A more recent concert vid, after Matt replaced Avi. Slightly different, but still excellent.
*
Yes, altho Kevin Olusola is the beatboxer and occasional cellist, he also sings leads occasionally. You can hear him on Mary Did You Know, and on Amazing Grace. And on his solo YT channel, you can watch him do amazing looping stuff in his studio, such as his cover of Down.
You HAVE TO react to Avi Kaplan, one of the original members. He has some new songs in the past few months in addition to throughout the past several years.
Pentatonix and Home Free were the 2 best acapella groups to come out of The Sing Off.. That was a great show, btw.. I don't even really like country music but, man, you can't beat an amazing acapella group. Avi Kapland's and Tim Foust's voices are straight up insane. Tim Foust has also been doing some solo stuff recently (kind of) of doo wop music.
Ben Bran mentioned the one studio “trick” they’ll occasionally use is stacking, or layering, vocal tracks. Not to add notes, but to give the sound a bigger presence.
They sound exactly the same live!!!
“PTX’s unparalleled vocal abilities are only exceeded by the quality of their humanity.”
The virtuosity of their performances are apparent. What takes time to appreciate is the love shared:
PTX -> Fans
Fans -> PTX
Fans -> Fans
Fans -> Venue Staff
No bad words in their songs.
No songs that disrespects anyone.
They’ll frequently tear up when thanking their fans from stage.
They’re good people.
I’m here for PTX! Acapella MASTERS! Yes!
Queen. Queen. Queen! It will blow you away! ❤️
Me too
Oh yeah - you really MUST do Bohemian Rhapsody!!! It will blow your socks off!!!!! Always watch official video first then find them live for comparison to see they are SPOT ON in every video.
Yes and yes... Matt is their new bass.
Their latest release O Holy Night will blow you away
💯💯💯
Black guy on the left, Matt, bass. Female is Kirsten, mezzo soprano. Blonde is Scott. He's a baritone that covers the bass when the bass has lead. He has an incredible range. Mitch is a counter tenor. He's the guy to Scott's right. The human 808 is Kevin. He is a tenor and the beat boxer. He also plays cello while beat boxing.
They all have crazy ranges and anything they do they can do live
That is totally his voice. This group is the best a cappella group ever.
FYI...Pentatonix has over 20 MILLION subscribers and over 6 BILLION viewings of thei videos. Also, they sound exactly like this in their live performances.
YES! They’re an acapella group. They make all the sounds you hear. They’re AMAZING!!
PTX- GOATS of a capella imo. I’ve heard them in concert twice in the last two years and listened to them daily since 2021. Yes they sound amazing live, and Matt (the bass) does go that low. Yes, watch Bohemian Rhapsody and Pure Imagination and then about 300 others.. and yes, Kevin (beat-boxer, cello player, saxophone player, multi-lingual, former Yale pre-med, nicest guy with the most humble heart and best laugh) does sing, too. 😊
Kirstin, Scott, and Mitch, the three in the middle, went to high school together. They found Kevin through a viral video of him playing cello while simultaneously beatboxing. Matt, in the white jacket, was found in a Nationwide search to replace the original bass singer Avi Kaplan who amicably left because the group’s success was having a negative impact on his wellbeing and family life.
Buckle up, and enjoy the Pentatonix ride!
Everybody Sings! She is proudly Hispanic.
Kevin is _usually_ too busy beatboxing, but at points where the percussion is tacit, he can either fill in the 5th pitch of a modern chord, do an ad lib, or even briefly take the lead.
YES
OMG! A new Pentatonix reactor! I love you already! You have not even touched the whole world that is Pentatonix! I just subbed in hopes of more Pentatonix reactions and to enjoy your trip down this rabbit hole 🕳! And FYI - They sound even better live! 💖 No 16 yr old fan girl here! I'm 71 and just love great talent! 😊
👍 Same! 🎉💐
ETA: Except that I’m only 57 😊💐
I'm here for ALl the Pentatonix. BTW, they sound amazing live, and have live versions of many songs
I saw them during this tour and they do sound exactly like this! Absolutely incredible 😊
The three in the middle basically grew up together, have been singing together for forever. They found the other two on RUclips, I believe
Saw them many times in Concert and their live performances are unreal!!!
Been to over 7 of their concerts. They sound just as good live
You got me by 1!!!👍
Subbing for more Pentatonix reactions. They have so much material. Their whole thing is "We will never make a song/video if we don't sound identical to it live.
Kirstin’s father is Mexican, Kevin beatboxes and also sings beautifully. Others are telling you the origin story but I will tell you that I’ve seen this song performed live and if anything, I think it was even better. Yes, Matt did the voice thing, lol! Check out their very recent live VEVO studio video cover of Kiss From a Rose. It’s incredible.
Welcome to the long winding road of Pentatonix, you are in for the journey of your life 😊 Pentatonix never ceases to amaze me, at just how incredibly talented they are, and take their voices to newer levels, we have never heard before.....there is something so special about their ability, to tell the songs story, allowing us to listen with a new perspective, and hear & feel emotions, we may not have heard from the original artist 💖💖💖 Not only their voices, but their delivery is also their gift! Also, Pentatonix is one of those rare groups, that actually sound as good, or even better live, & would love you to react to their live version of Hallelujah: ruclips.net/video/haFHrfmfHbc/видео.html Just for their versatility alone, I would love you to react to their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody, Imagine, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Creep, Say Something, & Daft Punk 😊
Pentatonix a "brief" background.
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. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list!
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.
4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".
Alan tx to you being you. Greatly appreciate. Greetings from South Africa
Honestly you really can't go wrong with any song they do.
It's just some you enjoy more than others.
But they're all good..
Absolutely amazing I am obsessed
A cappella at this level gives me goosebumps
Also, please hit up Home Free
Man of sorrow is a good one
Also, their collaboration with the Oak Ridge boys, Elvira that’s just a super fun when there is no way you can’t just be smiling all the way through
But taking nothing away from this amazing group.
Right off the cuff, Pentatonix has won three Grammys. They also have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They are the only acapella group to achieve this. So you pretty much can assume that what you're hearing is legit and is their voices. They are world reknown, literally. There is a story about how it all started, but I'm sure that someone else will fill you in on that. As you listen to them more, the questioning of if what you're hearing is legitimately all them will disappear. Maybe about 2 to 3% of their music will incorporate an instrument now and then, but it is indeed rare. The more you listen to the group and learn about them, the more your questions will be answered. In short, they are amazing and a very down to earth and personable group of people. Welcome to Pentatonix, also known as PTX. And yes, please do listen to Bohemian Rhapsody. Your mind will be blown.
Pentatonix History…..composed by Alan Freeman updated by Perry Stevenson
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 acappella 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.
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. 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.
The 3 Grammys they’ve won include….(1)Daft Punk for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella……(2)Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella….(3) Jolene w/Dolly Parton for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album “Evergreen” for Best Traditional Vocal Album. They were also nominated for a 5th Grammy award for their album “Holidays Around The World” for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only acapella group with a star!
UPDATE: Pentatonix has done a cameo appearance in the new movie “Candy Cane Lane” starring Eddie Murphy. They are the carolers.
UPDATE: They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23.
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!
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.
Things you need to know because if you get these wrong “Pentaholics” will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha 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 auto-tune 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.
welcome to the enchanted rabbit hole known as pentatonix. they have a very massive catalog on songs ranging from covers (they don't do covers..they do upgrades) to original songs. An issue you will run into...youtube blocks some of their videos....just put some sort of filter in the video itself...then you'll be ok. I'll give you a very few recomendations...daft punk, bohemian rhapsody, jolerne with/dolly parton, mad world, kiss from a rose (live vevo), the wizard of ahhhs (a collection of modern pop songs arranged to tell the classic story of wizard of oz)...ENJOY
I first saw them on The Sing-Off. I couldn't believe that sound could come from only 5 people. Those were live performances, and yes, they were that good.
Ditto. I really loved that show!
I’ve seen them ten times, they’re even better live! Actually, this was a few years ago and they’re leaps above this now even❤❤
Scott - tall blonde guy (covers bass when Matt is singing)
Mitch- high tenor
Kevin- beat boxer and cello player
Kirsten - female
Matt (guy in white jacket) - bass and yes all their actual voices.
They sound the same if not better live. Scott, Mitch and Kirsten are childhood friends. They found Kevin on RUclips. Matt joined the group after the original bassist,Avi Kaplan, left the group. Other songs:
Hallelujah
Bohemian Rhapsody
Amazing Grace (Kevin sings)
Aha! Live from Singapore
The Prayer
Daft Punk
Just to name a couple. The rabbit hole is deep
why is Kirstie just "female" loool
@@rayannawilliams4154 I guess I figured it was pretty obvious which one she was 😂
Kirstin Maldonado btw, she is from southern TX originally as is Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi.
I have seen them live 4 times. They sound just as good live as they do on their videos.
There’s a couple of recent live vevo videos, Kiss From a Rose and the Pure Imagination/Christmas time is Here. Both are amazing.
Omg pure imagination???? I have toooo get to that one
@counterreaction it's amazing ❤
Scott Hoying the Baritone and first singer, Mitch Grassi the Counter Tenor and second singer and Kirsten Maldonado the Mezzo Soprano. Have know each other since high school. In 2010 or 2011 they wanted to be on the show the Sing Off which they won. But they needed a Beat Boxer and a Bass. Kevin Olusola is the Beat Boxer Avi Kaplin used to be the Bass but left the group in 2017. That same year Matt Sallee came onboard as their Bass. Kevin Olusola does sing and has in some of their videos. I have seen them twice live once in 2018 and this past September. They sound exactly the same live.
I have been to their shows live. Just as good!
They are just as good live. Actually, they are better live. They have an absolutely unbelievable energy about them when they are live that I have never seen duplicated with any band. Hope you do more Pentatonix and do a deep dive into the rabbit hole! You are in for a treat. The beatboxer can absolutely sing and does at times in songs, but he is a talent on another level. His name is Kevin, graduated from Yale (I think) pre-med and he plays the cello, saxophone and speaks multiple languages. His solo stuff is another rabbit hole altogether. YES, YES, YES, you need to check out Pure Imagination/Christmastime is Here!!! It is a current release and it is just magical.
Sound the same live!!!! They are fantastic.
They sound awesome live too! Look up some of the videos online from their September 2022 Hollywood Bowl concert. (I have seen them twice live for the holiday concerts, and then live for pop covers and original songs in August 2023.). Kirstin Maldonado is Latina, Mexican + Italian/Spanish. The Trio (Kirstin, Scott Hoying - blond baritone, and Mitch Grassi, the high tenor whose voice you admired) are from Arlington, Texas, and more or less grew up together in local community theater, eventually ending up at the same high school, where they started performing a capella together . Beatboxer Kevin Olusola (who also plays cello and sings tenor) and the original bass (Avi Kaplan, who left in 2017) joined them when the group needed five performers for The Sing-Off, a TV a capella competition show in 2011. After Avi left, the group held blind auditions and picked Matt Sallee, whom you heard/saw here. That is Matt's actual voice. Regarding your comment about them staying in their lanes - actually, they have tremendously overlapping ranges, and Mitch can get easily higher than you heard here - he usually sings alto to Kirstin's soprano, although their upper ranges are very similar. If you watch carefully in this song, you can see Scott doing the bassline while Matt has his solo. If you want to hear Mitch go really high, check out The Prayer.
They do this live and it sounds just as good!! Find live performances!! Good reactijn!!
Welcome to the rabbit hole. Looking forward to experiencing with you. Strap in!
They’re amazing live. They sound the same in all the best ways and different in the best ways.
I love PTX. Seeing and hearing them live is an experience to say the least. I love PTX.
But they definitely sound different live. 100% not the same. Some might even argue they are even better live. Some may say worse. I say they sound just as good live. But definitely different than the studio versions.
There's a live version at the Hollywood Bowl from a couple years ago that will quell all your doubts
If you want to see a great live concert check out the Popspring 2016 concert. Their original bass singer Avi is with them in the Concert. Scott is the blonde, Mitch is the guy with the amazing high voice, Kirstin is the female, Kevin is the best boxer, & Matt is their new bass. They are all truly amazing and talented people!! You need to check out more of their videos. You won’t be disappointed going down the PTX rabbit hole!!
You can find live versions of most of their work and it’s just as good!
Kevin on the right is the Beatboxer
Matt Salee on the left is the Bass
Blond guy is Scott Hoying
Mullet guy is Mitch Grassi
Girl is Kirsten Maldanado
Welcome to the rabbit whole.. im here to follow you down it 😊
They sound identical live. Yes, they are that good. You can find live performances of Hallelujah and many other songs they do that are just as great as the video. Try a few of those before judging.
What you see and hear is what you see and hear live. I have seen them live.
It's so nice to have a new reviewer of the discography of Pentatonix. They are incredibly good and as you continue, you will come to understand just how great they are. Just a suggestion: you might want to watch their creative performances as contestants on the TV show Sing Off. They eventually won Season 4.
I saw them just last September, they are amazing live!! Subscribed for more PTX!
Live, recording, mic'ed, no mic all sounds the same. They are phenomenal. BTW Hallelujah has almost 3/4 Billion views
Welcome to the Pentaverse! #1 singer is Scott...the baritone with a wild range. #2 singer is Mitch, a tenor with an amazingly high range. #3 is Matt, the bass of the group, with a voice like melted chocolate, #4 is Kirstie (rhymes with thirsty) who is a mezzo soprano and is a Latina. Kevin, on the far right is principally their beat boxer, but he can sing and has an amazing range as well. He also plays a mean cello, which he does in some of their songs as accompaniment. He can also play the cello and beat box at the same time, called cello-boxing. I just subbed. Keep those Pentatonix aka PTX reactions coming.
Pentatonix is extra extraordinary live. I've seen the numerous times
Oh my goodness bro, I'm so happy to see these guys on the channel, love them. Loved the reaction🙏
My mannnn, always so thrilled to see you shay! Yeah bro we shall see how this first one goes 🙏 thank for always coming back fam
@@counterreaction it's my pleasure bro🙏
Everything they do can be equally done in live performances
Loved this reaction ❤
ive seen them live 3 times- they are even better live. they have 4 grammys and a star on hollywood boulevard. they are PEHNOMENAL!
Kevin is the beatboxer, mitch is the counter-tenor, Scott is the barritone, Kirstie is, well, Kirstie- mezzo-soprano and Matt is the bass....
keep going down the PTX rabbit hole- you won't be disappointed..
Ooo ooo I get so excited when I find a new PTX rabbit hole to go down! 🎉🎉🎉 lets go! Im here for it!
Also! Hey! Welcome to the Pentaholics 😊❤😊
There are so many to check out,
If you'd like an original to check out I would suggest the pop spring 2016 live performance (3 originals and their evolution of Michael Jackson) and love again but the music video.. its a vibe🎉 ❤
Thank you for the warm welcome 🤗
I hate it when people act like they have never heard the group they’re listening to.
Their version of Hallalueah has almost 1 billion views!
Here is a link to the best LIVE version of HALLELUJAH: ruclips.net/video/haFHrfmfHbc/видео.html
Pentaholics will flock to your channel. We love a new reactor. Yes that's his voice. .1st singer Scott (baritone),2nd mitch (countertenor),3rd matt(bass), 4th kirstin (mezzo soprano). Beat boxer is kevin but he also sings aswell. Yes they're acapella. They have won 3 grammys. They also have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame . Highly recommend bohemian rhapsody. That has their original bass (avi kaplin ) in it but that's the only line up change. By the way that's mitch singing in his mid to lower register. He can get way higher than that. Recommend the prayer by them but you can't really go wrong. One thing though their record company is renowned for copyright issues. Most reactors tend to get round this by either making the video more transparent or placing some kind of filter on it , most of us have seen it 100s of times anyway it's your reaction we're interested in .kirstin is latina by the way ( fathers Mexican I believe. ) ❤
I CANT WAIT for you to get to some of their live stuff. Check out ANYTHING from the Hollywood Bowl 2022 concert.
Yes!! More PTX please. They are amazing, I've seen them in concert a few times and they are just as good live. Subscribing to see more PTX 🔔👍🏻
Found you through a youtube suggestion. I appreciate your reaction style. Subscribed! I've seen Pentatonix live and they are even more amazing in person. If you plan to explore further, you have a LOT to choose from. As others have suggested, check out their live Vevo performance of Kiss From a Rose. A couple of my (many) favorites are their original Love Again - you'll see their original bass, Avi Kaplan - and 90s Dance Medley. Also an early one, Radioactive (Kevin celloboxes: plays and beatboxes simultaneously.) Also. . .well, you'll see, if you decide to continue down the PTX rabbit hole.
Happy to have you, more on the way 🙏
They all have amazing vocal ranges, even Avi the base vocal before smart joined.
They did do this live, sounds awesome too
I have seen them in concert here in Australia .. and yes that bass is real and his name is Matt. You will notice Scott ( the first singer in the long coat) taking over the bass as Matt sings the higher notes in his part.
That was Matt... his drops are awesome!
My first experience with this group was on an award show several yrs ago was them doing the Star Wars theme. 🤯 AMAZING!! Have been hooked ever since! Love them! My favorite, most moving/goose bumps head to toe is Hallelujah!! Check those out!! Would love to hear your reactions to those.
Watch a live performance of them. Sounds exactly like this!!!
Yes, he’s completely a cappella and Kevin is the boxer, but he also is a singer and plays the cello and flute. In older videos, you will see a different bass. His name was Avi Kaplan but he left the group because he couldn’t tour you will see Scott Mitch Kirsty, who have been together singing since high school, welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole! You will need excellent here headphones to hear everything appropriately
From left to right:
Matt is the current bass, so yes, that was his voice.
Kirstin (Kirsty rhymes with thirsty, to her friends and fans) is a soprano, but she can go down to the alto range.
Scott is a baritone with quite a range. When the bass has his solo, Scott covers the bass.
Mitch is a counter tenor, with the voice of an angel.
Kevin is the beat boxer, so he doesn't sing very often, but when he does, he has a beautiful tenor voice.
Avi, not in this video, is the original bass. He is a basso profundo.
Kevin (KO) the gent to the right, is a human beat box. he also does special effects, sings, and plays cello beautifully.
Scott (the tall blond) found Kevin on RUclips. Scott, Mitch, & Kirstie have been bffs since they were lil kids in Texas. Kirstie is Latina (since you asked). We miss Avi like crazy, but Matt, the group's 2nd bass, is a wonderful addition. No one will ever replace Avi, but Matt is family now & he brings his own gifts to the group.
New subscriber, here for Pentatonix. If you would like to explore more, please check out Bohemian Rhapsody as well as their Daft Punk medley (for which they won their first Grammy) and their juggernaut video of Hallelujah (something like 630 million views). You will notice one change in their line-up over the years. Matt Sallee, the current bass in the white jacket at the far left, joined in 2017 when original bass Avi Kaplan left the group. Kirstie (the woman) and Mitch (second from the right) have changed their looks a lot, but it’s always them. Their cover of John Lennon’s Imagine is a good video that celebrates the diversity within the group. Peace from Ohio … I meant to add, there are a bunch of live performances on RUclips as well as official videos from the band.
Kirstin Maldonado is mostly Mexican with a bit of Spanish/Italian. Her, Scott(blonde) and Mitch(mullet) are childhood friends from Texas. The other two guys were recruited a bit later
Sorry, but to add to what you just commented on, they are absolutely insane. Live! These people have excellent amazing voices and that’s all they use end of story.
I have watched them live multiple times and they sound even better than on a recording! And yes that is Matt voice going deep he is the bass of the group. However when Matt is singing Scott the tall blond does the bass line!
The Three in the middle are from Texas (Kirsty, Scott and Mitch) The Bass ( Matt) on the left is from Maryland, and The Beat Boxer (Kevin) is from Kentucky.
Check out their live video of
Kiss From A Rose
Hallelujah
The Prayer
Check out their rendition of John Lennon's, Imagine. Brings me to tears every time I watch it!