Unbelievable! ~ First Time Pentatonix Reaction ~ "Bohemian Rhapsody" Cover
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2023
- Link to original Pentatonix video for "Bohemian Rhapsody": • Pentatonix - Bohemian ...
Join me for my very first reaction to Pentatonix, an American a cappella group who hit it big on "The Sing Off". I selected "Bohemian Rhapsody" for my first reaction as it holds great meaning for me personally and frankly, I just love it! Come along for the ride and enjoy!
Thanks to all who suggested this amazing group of talent young people; I am blown away!
Please like, share, and subscribe if you feel so inclined. It would be very helpful to my small but growing channel. Thank you!
Never give up, never back down, never give in! Always stay free!
#pentatonix #pentatonixreaction #bohemianrhapsody #bohemianrhapsodyreaction #bohemianrhapsodycover
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I LOVE KIRSTIN IN AMAZING GRACE.
BOHEMIAN RAPSODY IS MY FAVORITE PTX SONG.
🎶🎙🎵
Their cover of Lennon's Imagine is phenomenon, and showcases ALL of their voices. The message delivered ain't bad either.
Hallelujah, Say Something, and Shallow all showcase Kirstie's voice beautifully
They let Kirstin out of her cage in "Amazing Grace."
Be my eyes is a great Kirstie song
Yes, and so many songs simply spend more featuring everyone
Nothing I enjoy more than watching someone discover this wonderful group for the first time. If you want your channel to grow, keep up with these reactions. If you play it, the Pentaholics will come and we are many. You can literally pick any song in their catalog and you'll be blown away. Kirsten Maldonado and she is great. Some songs she is heavy in are Say Something, Shallow, Rather Be, My Favorite Things to name a few. Welcome and enjoy
HALLELUJAH!
Welcome to the Pentatonix rabbit hole. We Pentaholics welcome you. 🙂
Thank you! :)
And The Prayer, done originally by Celine Dion and Andrea Boccelli.
Kirstie songs - Say Something, Be My Eyes, Shallow, but often they each get a part of every song they sing.
A great one that highlights Kirstin's voice is Some Of My Favorite Things.
Enjoyed your reaction! Brian May, the Queen guitarist, gave this video a nice shout out on his social media.
Awesome, and thank you! :)
Apart from their awesome voices, let's not forget Kevin, the brilliant beat boxer.
Her name is Kirstin or Kirstie (rhymes with thirsty) and has an incredible range. She played Lauren in Kinky Boots on Broadway for a bit. Recommend her parts in Say Something, Shallow, Rather Be, Amazing Grace, My Favorite Things, and Sound Of Silence. She co-wrote and lead in Be My Eyes and Love Me When I Don’t. Almost forgot to add Seasons Of Love.
Stole my thunder on Kirstie!!!! Spot on!
Definitely don't want to miss Seasons of Love!
Awesome, thank you!
Don’t forget Water! That’s one of my favorites with Kirstie as lead.
@@Jennyknight1229 How could I miss Water. It’s one of my top favorites!😮
Look at how many times this as been viewed!!!!
Listen to Hallelujah!!
The Prayer, Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone, Radioactive, Daft Punk, 90’s Dance Medley.
The girl's name is Kirstie (like thirsty). Some songs where she's the focus include 'Say Something' & 'My Favorite Things'. She also kills it in Amazing Grace.
We are just watching for Your reaction, we have heard this hundreds of times! WE ARE PENTAHOLICS!
The audio panning on "little high, little low" is a direct quote from Queen. If you listen to Queen's original you'll hear the same panning on the same phrase.
Pentatonix loves Queen, and they love "Bohemian Rhapsody," so they always wanted to cover this song, but they feared that they couldn't do it justice, so they decided to wait until they were sure they were ready. That took them five years, but it was worth the wait - they were definitely ready.
Pentatonix began in 2011, when they were contestants on _The Sing-Off,_ an a cappella competion show that ran on NBC from 2009 through 2012. First prize was $200,000 and a recording contract with Epic, a minor subsidiary of Sony, the show's sponsor. Pentatonix appeared throughout season 3, eventually winning. They all moved to California and got apartments in the same building, preparing to begin recording their music, and a week later Epic reneged on the contract, saying that they didn't know how to market a cappella. So Pentatonix came up with Plan B: CZcams. A lot of those early CZcams videos show the five of them sitting on a couch, with the trio (Kirstie, Mitch, and Scott) on the back of the couch and Avi and Kevin on the seat in front of them, just five very young people singing their hearts out, making their dream come true. Note that this is the configuration we see them in at the beginning and end of "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is one reason the couch needs to move - it's taking Pentatonix (and us) on a trip down Memory Lane.
The more important reason the couch moves is that it's standing in for the car in _Wayne's World,_ where Wayne and Garth introduced a whole new generation to the genius of Queen by putting a tape of "Bohemian Rhapsody" into the car's tape player.
The couch was motorized, and not very well balanced. (Note that when they're sitting on it their feet don't quite reach the ground. The little curtain thing on the bottom was added to hide the motor.) It kept trying to tip over during the filming and actually managed to throw Kevin off at one point. There was a small platform attached to the back so that Kirstie could climb on the couch from behind - Scott, being a foot taller than Kirstie, didn't need it.
When Mitch lies down on the couch, singing "Too late, My time has come," they're refering to Freddie Mercury's death (the foreshadowing was, of course, unintentional on Freddie's part; there's no way he could have known). The other four are walking next to the couch to serve as his pall bearers.
Many people think the megaphone is distorting Mitch's voice to make him sound more like an electric guitar, but it actually has nothing to do with it. The megaphone wasn't turned on, and couldn't have distorted Mitch's voice even if it had been - it was just a megaphone. The electric guitar is all Mitch. Mitch happened to see the megaphone lying around on the set and thought it would make a cool prop, so it's been confusing people ever since.
During the "Bismillah" argument, note that Scott, whose range includes both bass and tenor registers, is actually singing along with both the high and low sides of the argument. Scott has said that this rapid switching is the hardest part of the song for him.
When the camera pans up to show us the starry night sky during Mitch's second guitar solo, it's meant as a tribute to Queen's lead guitarist, Brian May, who has a doctorate in astrophysics.
The four shooting stars honor the four members of Queen.
When the camera pans back down to show Pentatonix lying on the couch together it's meant to recall the cover art for Queen's "Sheer Heart Attack" album.
Kevin and Mitch are both singing that last "Any way the wind blows." Note that this completes it; EVERY member of Pentatonix had an opportunity to play Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," yet another dream come true.
And when this official video was first released, Brian May posted a link to it on all his social media accounts with the comment: "Enjoy."
Wow, amazing info, thanks!
Their cover of Amazing Grace is absolutely amazing!
I always recommend that people begin with the "Sing Off." That's the beginning of their journey. You learn who they are, their history,... well then you can see them then and now. You're going to be amazed at how little they have changed, but how much they've changed.
The "Pentaholics" will educate you.
Enjoy the Pentatonix rabbit hole!
I recommend their version of Hallelujah. It’s exquisitely arranged, filmed and sung. Each member gets a brief solo. Kirsten knocks it out of the park!
To hear more of their individual voices react to their #1 - Halleluiah
Or Sound of Silence
Pentatonix- Say Something
Can You Feel the Love Tonight showcases her voice nicely.
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 CZcams, 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 CZcams 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 CZcams), 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 CZcams, 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 cove r 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. 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 did not know Pentatonix had done "Sugar Plum Fairy" and just now watched it. It was great! This ability to go acapella on a piece with no words is quite amazing. VoicePlay did "In The Hall of the Mountain King" also entirely without words, and it was both vocally incredible AND very funny (being the theatre kids of acapella).
Also, just to add: Mitch Grassi can also hit the whistle notes, his range is that high. There's a video compilation around here with various instances of it. :)
You must do Hallelujah and The Sound of Silence!
Those "bum bum bum bum" notes "that were used a lot in the 50s" are the actual piano notes Freddie Mercury played on the piano in the original version.
Kirstin (mezzo-soprano), Scott Hoying (blond baritone), and Mitch Grassi (tenor/countertenor, primary lead here) had a group in high school, that they called ... The Trio. After Kirstin and Scott had done a year at university (ahead of Mitch, who was still in high school), Scott (encouraged by an older uni classmate Ben Bram, who was in the college's elite a capella choir with him) decided he wanted to take their group to The Sing-Off, a reality a capella competition show. Bram, who was already headed to the show to work as an arranger, told Scott they'd need at least 5 people and encouraged Scott to get a vocal bass (to do both bass instrumental effects and sing bass) and a beatboxer. Through friends, they got opera-trained basso profundo Avi Kaplan (bearded brunet here), who had done well at collegiate a capella competitions, and they found Yale graduate Kevin Olusola on CZcams, playing cello and beatboxing at the same time - "cello-boxing."
*Spoiler alert* - the. newly-formed Pentatonix (named after the 5-note pentatonic scale) won the competition show for the 2011 fall season. But the record contract that was supposed to be part of the prize evaporated because the recording company didn't have the vision to see how the group could be financially successful. So they took to CZcams and onto the road (Ben Bram, who had become their official arranger, drove the bus at first) and made their own success. The only personnel change in the group's 12-year history was when Avi left for personal reasons in 2017 and was replaced by Matt Sallee, who you will see in more recent videos (and in person if you score concert tickets - they are touring for the holidays in Nov.-Dec.).
Welcome to the wonderful world of Pentatonix! There is a vast library to choose from, you won't be disappointed.
So excited to dig in!
Pentatonix- Havana
You should go listen to Hallelujah. Amazing, everyone has a part and Kirstie really shines.
Those bell tones that you refer to as old fashioned fifties style music are the way Pentatonix usually handles what would otherwise be piano accompaniment, something that Queen made heavy use of.
Love it. From a pentaholic
Pentaholic ... LOVE IT!!! :)
Pentatonix's cover of Say Something really showcases Kirstin's voice. Please give it a listen!
I absolutely will!
I think you’d love Hallelujah and The Prayer as well just to name a few. PTX is amazing.
Hope you are ready for the Pentaholics! Requests and Band info incoming.
I'll be watching your journey.
I love her in the Wizard of Aaaahhhs!
PTX has been touched by angels!!
The ones that feature Kirstie more, I would suggest Say Something, Imagine, Mary Did You Know, Daft Punk, and 90s Dance Medley. Also, and especially The Wizard of Aahs. You should begin there.
Well, now you've done it! All of the "Pentaholics" will show up soon, so be prepared!
Some info about the members: These are the founding members of the group. The three in the back (left to right: Kirstin, Scott, and Mitch) are life-long friends. Avi ("Ah vee") is the bass who they met through a friend, and Kevin (vocal percussion) they actually discovered on CZcams playing the cello and beatboxing at the same time. The five did not all meet in person until the day before trying out for The Sing-Off, a televised a cappella competition. Avi amicably left the group six years later for family and personal reasons and now has a successful solo career. He was replaced by Matt as bass. If you jump around videos, some of their looks change often over the years which confuses some people. Kistin has had light and very dark hair, and Mitch has had a mustache, long hair, been bald, and worn glasses. Scott often sings or hums background bass when the bass takes lead, which also confuses some people on who the bass actually is,
Most comments will tell you to first listen to "Hallelujah," "The Sound of Silence," "Amazing Grace," "The Prayer" and "Daft Punk," but they have released around 200 songs (not all music videos) so there is a lot more to explore.
Thank you this excellent and helpful info! Wonderful :)
He pasted it on his own page with a one word reaction.
"Enjoy"
The Grassi Guitar does not require a megaphone. It is just a prop to draw attention to who is making the sound. I heard it done live and it was EPIC!
Mitch might be the reincarnation of Freddie Mercury. Freddie died in November 1991 and Mitch was born in July 1992. He can also grow the Freddie mustache. It is so close to matching it is kinda creepy. You can see Mitch with the Freddie mustache doing Somebody to Love on a Queen special that was on ABC a few years ago.
They are phenomenal - they have over 200 videos on You Tube and they are all amazing - Sound of Silence, Daft Punk, Amazing Grace, Sing - you can't go wrong with any of them.
How about one she wrote? Try "Be My Eyes."
Goodness. You have a lot of Pentatonix to catch up on. Lucky you.😅
I will not inundate you with a long list. Others will do that.
I will just say there is not one bad video among them
Enjoy.
Yes, I have much to learn and listen too! And I'm really looking forward to it :)
First...thank you so much for reacting to PTX! This is my first time here and I'm now subscribed! I'm so glad to be at the start of your PTX rabbit hole and look forward to watching your enjoyment on this journey! Their talent is unbelievable and limitless. I'm so excited to see the next one! Thanks again!
Thanks for subbing! Much more PTX to come :)
@@ginger_snapz_369 I'm soooo excited! 🙂
Kirstie has solos in many songs, but see "Say Something" and "Shallow" where she takes the lead.
welcome to ptx!! if you want more kirstin, you just have to check out one of my favorites, their amazing cover of My Favorite Things, and her part in The Sound Of Silence is also fantastic. plus, i just have to recommend you react to their #1 song cover, with almost 700,000,000 views, Hallelujah !!! they do lots of medleys and mashups and original songs as well, i hope you react to much more ptx in the future 🥰
You can’t go wrong with any of the previous suggestions. I would just add their "Evolution Of” videos like "Evolution Of Music" and "Evolution Of Michael Jackson" and also their original music like “Cracked", “Sing", "Can’t Sleep Love", etc. They have done some amazing collaborations with Dolly Pardon, Kelly Clarkson, Lindsey Sterling to name a few. They won a grammy for Jolene with Dolly and for their Daft Punk Medley. And if you want a couple of amazing examples of Xmas music you will love "Mary Did You know" and "The Prayer". Both very emotional. Welcome to the club.
Thank you! Those "Evolution of ..." videos sound great! Thanks for suggesting them. :)
Nobody's ever going to top Queen's original version of this masterpiece, but for my money, this is the best cover I've heard, and to do it acapella is mind blowing!
Kirsten has the lead in their version of " Can You Feel the Love Tonight " . The lion king song. They do an amazing job of it. Thanks.
Welcome to Pentatonix! They still perform this in concert. It was their final encore when I saw them a few weeks ago. If you do dig in now, we’ll be here for it! FYI, Scott (baritone) and Kevin (beatboxer) always looks more or less the same, but Mitch (singing Freddy, here) and Kirstie change up their looks a lot but it is always them, the only personnel change was in 2017 when Avi (the bass) left and was replaced by Matt. PTX has a huge catalog of covers, originals, and Christmas music, plus the individual members have fantastic solo side projects. One reactor has over 300 unique Pentatonix related videos, so you won’t run out of material ever, especially since they are always putting out new stuff. Looking forward to more!
Daft Punk and Amazing Grace and Wizard of Ahh should be your next 3 to watch
Not following up on Pentatonix isn't a shame, it's heresy!!!!🤣 But you are redeemed. Welcome to the PTX rabbit hole. You can go back and watch their Sing Off songs. They're here on CZcams.
Hahaha! I am guilty but grateful for the forgiveness :) That pesky full-time job thing is really cutting into my music appreciation activities ;)
First time? Yes, sign me up for this journey. ❤
They are currently on tour and have also just released tour dates for their upcoming Christmas tour. They are just as exceptional live. Great reaction!🤩
Pentatonix Bohemian Rhapsody Insights:
So, some things to know about this cover and video: -It took PTX years to get the arrangement to where they felt they could do the original masterpiece justice. -The cover, and especially the video, was meant to be an homage to Queen. Some of the moments paying respect were: The mono-recording of the line "easy come, easy go" followed by the panning of the voices from left to right on the line "little high, little low" (which is how the original was recorded), obviously the flashlights being used to mimic the lighting on the operatic part of the original video, the four shooting stars to represent the four members of Queen, as well as acknowledge the fact that Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist, and the overhead shot of them lying on the couch is to represent the Sheer Heart Attack album cover. -The megaphone was just a prop. It is not needed to reproduce the electric guitar distortion. -PTX can, and does, perform this live with no backing track...something even Queen and the Great Freddie Mercury could not do. -Freddy once said he didn't care what people did with his music as long as they "...don't make it boring, darling!", so I think he would absolutely approve. -The overall video--with the "living room" and couch--is an homage to Pentatonix's own journey as a group. They lost their record deal right after winning the Sing Off and moving to LA, so they started putting out videos on CZcams, performing covers. They would sit on the couch in Kevin (beatboxer) and Avi's (bass) living room and just record themselves on Mitch's (counter tenor who took the lead on this song) iPad. Some of their earliest videos went viral and they eventually were able to secure a new deal, record an EP, go on tour, release chart-topping albums and win three Grammy awards...so they moved out of the living room and down this new, unknown road. At the end of the day, though, they're still the same choir-nerds they've always been; just happy to sit together on a couch and sing. Also when Brian Mays heard it... then he posted it on his web site with the word "ENJOY”.
They practiced this for months before they would even consider doing the video. They did it justice. WOW! It is hard to believe they got their start when Scott, Kirsten, and Mitch were only 18, and Avi and Kevin were only 21. They were just kids yet so full of talent. This was just a few short years after that.
A beautiful reaction, Ptx is an awesome group. A song featuring Kristen is "Say Something." Thanks
You will get a lot of suggestions for Kirstin's songs. I personally like "Say Something"
As they say, better late than never lol😅. Say Something, Rather Be gives you a Kirstie lead.... other classic song covers include Imagine... Sound of Silence... enjoyed your reaction, look forward to more PTX
"How do they do that?" I've been pondering that for years Ginger haha. Welcome to PTX... there is so much to explore. Christmas is coming and these guys will blow your mind with that music. Do some please. Love your reaction.
I am so excited to get into the Christmas music! Thanks for your comment :)
A few songs that feature Kirstie are “Be My Eyes”, “My Favorite Things”, Wizard of Ahhhs”, “Seasons of Love”
Welcome to PTX! Better late than never. If you decide to go on a PTX journey, I’m coming along! “Hallelujah” would be great. Subbed!
Thank you for subbing!
Great reaction! I love it when newbies find Pentatonix for the first time. If you do interesting Pentatonix reactions, the Pentaholics will come, I assure you! We are a loyal lot. Brian May loves this version and put it on his socials promoting it to Queen fans with one word 'enjoy'. Quite an accolade. They waited six years to do this one because they wanted to do it justice.
I have been a fan since Pentatonix first formed in 2011 when they won the third season of the Sing Off. I only got to see them live for the first time though this year in London in May. I'm 54 and I sing in several choirs and do some solo stuff. I've been going to see live music for nearly 40 years and their concert was easily the best I've ever been too. They were phenomenal! I loved that there were people of all ages there from small children to people in their 80s. They are so good and they cover such a wide range of different music styles that there really is something for everyone.
A bit (!) of background. Kirstin (Kirstie - rhymes with thirsty!), Mitch (dark haired counter tenor) and Scott (tall, blonde baritone) have known each other since they were children - Kirstie and Mitch and Mitch and Scott since they were 8 and performing in community theatre together and Kirstie and Scott since high school. They sang in high school as a trio together where they grew up in Arlington Texas and have been best friends ever since. They are incredibly close which personally I think is a major ingredient of the Pentatonix magic!
They needed at least five members to enter the Sing-off competition in 2011. They found Avi, their bass singer through a friend of a friend and Kevin, their beatboxer (who also plays cello and sings - he is a tenor) on CZcams where a video of him 'cello-boxing' - i.e. playing the cello and beatboxing had gone viral. Scott, Mitch and Kirstie were all 19 at the time, Kevin and Avi were 23.
They won the competition and the prize was a Sony record contract, however Sony dropped them after two weeks because they didn't think a cappella music would be marketable! PTX decided to go it alone. They started a CZcams channel and began to make their own music. Everything on their channel was hugely successful and they quickly won their first Grammy for their Daft Punk medley. Sony soon realised their error and signed them to their prestigious RCA label. 12 years and many best selling albums, two more Grammy's, 3 billion CZcams views, (20 million subscribers) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later and they have never looked back.
They are best known for their covers (the video for their cover of Hallelujah has over 700 million CZcams views and counting!) and Christmas music but their original music is incredible and criminally under-rated! Their music influences span many different genres including: pop, rock, EDM, hip hop, rap, dance, world music, musical theatre and even a bit of country (they won their third Grammy for a collab with Dolly Parton on a cover of Jolene). Their catalogue is huge!
They have only had one member change, their bass, Avi Kaplan (with the beard here) left amicably in 2017 for personal reasons (his mum was unwell and he couldn't keep up with their hectic schedule). He has an incredible solo career now so it isn't a loss! He was replaced by Matt Sallee, who is now the youngest in the group at 29 (Kirstie and Mitch are 31, Scott is 32, Kevin is 34). Matt is different to Avi but just as good. He's now been in the group for as long as Avi was.
They don't have a lead singer as such as they alternate the lead according to who is most appropriate for each song. Scott probably has more leads than the others though, closely followed by Mitch, Kirstie, Matt and Kevin in that order. Kevin gets to sing solo bits less frequently (about 10% of the time) as he is needed for the beatboxing!
They are all multi-talented (Kevin most of all as he beatboxes, sings, plays the cello, trumpet and piano, was pre-med at Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin!). They can all rap, especially Mitch and Scott and they have all been involved in writing some of their original songs. They are mostly a cappella except when Kevin plays the cello, or when they collab with the violinist Lindsey Stirling. They NEVER do anything in the studio that they can't replicate live so, for example, Mitch does the guitar solo from Bohemian Rhapsody with his mouth on stage (the megaphone was just a prop for the video!)
They all have five to six-octave ranges and Scott takes over the bass line when Avi, and now Matt, have solos, but can also sing really high. As a counter tenor, Mitch, and actually Kevin too, can sing as high, or sometimes even higher than Kirstie, who is a Mezzo soprano. Even Matt can sing very high. I love them all for different reasons but Mitch is my favourite. His voice is once in a generation and it moves me so much. Lots of people say Dimash is the best singer in the world and technically he is phenomenal but his voice doesn't move me like Mitch's does. I'll be looking out for your first 'Mitch slap' - it's what we call it when people are gobsmacked by the beauty of his piercing, angelic voice! You'll probably get it in Hallelujah and definitely in The Prayer.
As a Pentatonix newbie, I always recommend Hallelujah, Daft Punk and Bohemian Rhapsody so you've started well! After that, it's really a matter of what your particular musical interests are. I've yet to hear any of their songs that I don't like. We say they don't do covers, they do 'upgrades'. My favourites of their originals are Love again, Sing, Run to you, Can't sleep love, their new one I Rise, Cracked and Water. For Kirstie leads - Say something, Rather be, Water (original), 'Be my eyes' (original) and 'Shallow' are the ones that come to mind.
I've subscribed for more PTX reactions. Enjoy the rabbit hole!
Thanks for this wonderful info and for subbing :)
mITCH WAS ABOUT 24 WHEN THIS WAS PERFORMED. tHEY ARE ALL IN THEIR 30'S DOTAY AND SOUND EVEN BETTER/
They made a great tribute to Queen. When they pan to the stars the four shooting stars are for the band members and for Brian May who got his degree in astrophysics. Cool little tribute in there. And if you want to see Kirsty shine, watch Amazing Grace. She has a part in it when she goes higher like 5 times. It's incredible!
Wow, I didn't know that about the stars. Very cool!
If you want blasting Kirstie then I'd recommend Amazing Grace but my favourite cover is Rather Be and she sings the lead the whole song. You get to hear more of her lower register in it.
Don't feel bad being late to the game...many of us were!! I heard the word acapella and instantly thought barbershop quartet which they are anything but!! You cannot go wrong with any song, but a few of my favorites are Daft Punk, Evolution of Michael Jackson, Say Something, Mad World, Be My Eyes and Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Subbed for more Pentatonix!!!
It's okay love! Better to have found them late, than not to have found them at all! They have 12 years worth of music for you to discover and enjoy. They have a huge catalong of cover songs, as well as a good number of originals. They are also known as the Kings of Christmas. Their label always pushed them really hard during christmas time. And they will be starting a brand new Holiday Tour in just a few weeks, along with an album of holiday favorites and 8 new holiday songs. Once the Pentaholics find you, expect your channel to grow exponentially. We are a merry crew of mostly kindhearted individuals who love it when another new reactor discoveres the magic of Pentatonix. I highly recommend their cover of Hallelujah next. It has over 700 MILLION views here on YT for a reason. But you literally cannot go wrong with any song you choose. Welcome to the family!
Thank you! Seems like a wonderful family to be part of :)
Favorite Things is a song with Kirstie as the main artist, but really you can see her sing in most of their songs.
Thank you for sharing your story about singing this song in competition when you were in high school. I had a similar experience; I was in my high school's jazz-rock ensemble in the late 1970's and we sang this song (not in a competition, but a performance for the school). A great memory! :)
What next? I think you'll really love Imagine, Sound of Silence, and their most-viewed hit, Hallelujah.
Videos that highlight Kirstie: I second the recs above for Say Something, Rather Be, Seasons of Love, and The Prayer.
Christmas is coming... there's a LOT, but my favs include Mary, Did You Know? Carol of the Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, the Little Drummer Boy (a song I was tired of until I heard Pentatonix's version!) and an original song "That's Christmas To Me."
It's never too late to discover great music!
Been watching PTX since they showed up on the scene... this one is still my favorite.
Hallelujah is an amazing song as is Imagine, their 90's Dance Mx and Daft Punk medly all are great and need to be experienced
Brian May of Queen linked to this song from his Twitter with the message "enjoy" and we do 😃
it took Pentatonix 5 years to get this song right before they released it, it takes work to be this good and they insisted on getting this one right before sharing it with the world
A new PTX reactor. Love it and looking forward to more. One of my favorite Kirstie songs is Water. There is no music video for it but you can see them do it live in their 2016 Popspring concert at the Star Vista in Singapore. They do three originals and a medley of MJ songs in Evolution of Michael Jackson.
I think you will adore their 90's Dance Medley, it is SO much fun, you'll be chair dancing, for sure! (Kirsty (rhymes with thirsty) has some great lead vocals, and also, you need to hear an original of theirs, "Be My Eyes." It's got a great 90's vibe also, so do listen to these and know I'd love going along with you on your Pentatonix journey!
Thanks! :)
Welcome to PTX,
You have rattle a big rabbit hole
and your channel will GŔOW.
Kevin's arraignment "O Come All Ye Faithfull" Dad is from Nigeria, and it shows. "Imagine" and if you want to see them grow. "That's What Christmas Means to Me"
They are on tour in the USA now and end home for Christmas.
Fun tidbit. Kirsty, Mitch and Scott guest starred on and episode of Bones. Kirsty's singing group was the gingersnaps.
PTX, Home Free, and VoicePlay are all excellent! Although not a "vocal band" (because they don't use a beat boxer), Voctave is also an outstanding instrument-free group (11 member chorus.) Corker X
Great reaction. You did pick the most complicated song Pentatonix ever did...... ha ha. But believe me. they will still astound you with all their others. The big ones are ...... Hallelujah, The Prayer, Daft Punk (they won their first Grammy for that one). But they have a long list of songs. Pop, Christmas, ..... A duet with Dolly Parton, ..... 100's and 100's of great performances. I will follow your journey with them if you chose to take it...... Thanks again for your video. It was very enjoyable.
More Kirsty lead vocals are “ Rather be” and “Be my eyes”. Thanks for what you do.
I just witnessed this live on Tuesday and it’s just as good. Still blows me away that it’s this good. Please react to Hallelujah and Imagine.
They did look pretty young in this video but you have to remember this video is years old.
Love your reactions, Ginger!! You’ll love checking out more from Pentatonix but can I also suggest you check out The Disney Love Medley from Voctave (another acapella group) as it features Kirstie as a main singer and it is unbelievable! ❤ BTW, Omar Cardona’s brother EJ is in Voctave!
How do they sound like so much MORE? A) They are crazy talented. B) The audio recording is done in a recording studio and not here in the video portion. They're essentially lip-synching to themselves. C) It seems likely that they're sometimes being over-dubbed, so each voice MAY be appearing more than once during some parts. And D) Whoever does their mixing is also crazy talented.
Seasons of Love from Rent really shows Kirsties voice off
Loved the reaction. Subbed for more PTX.
Thanks for the sub!
I saw them do this live last month. It was stunning!
The "bum, bum, bum" notes you mentioned from the first verse are pretty much a staple in a cappella singing, known as "bell tones" (sometimes "bell notes"). It's usually used to emulate a musical instrument, often a piano or guitar from the original song. In this case, PTX is emulating the piano notes that Freddy plays in the original music video.
For songs where Kirstin has a more leading role, check out Say Something (my favorite Kirstin lead), Rather Be, My Favorite Things, Be My Eyes (co-written by Kirstin), Water (also co-written by Kirstin), Come Along, Amazing Grace.
Thanks for the info and suggestions!
ciao.. benvenuta nel club XD
Consiglio Hallelujah, Daft Punk, immagine inizialmente ;)
Just keep going. the rabbit hole will last a few years. trust me. subbed for more
Thanks for subbing!
What a friendly personable person you seem. Enjoy your week. Greetings from Manchester UK😅
Thank you! You are so kind :)
@@ginger_snapz_369 it’s true I hopeyou enjoy reacting to more fabulous songs too
subbed for more PTX
Thank you!
It's called the "wall of sound"...
Subbed for more PTX reactions.
Thanks!
If you want to hear Kirstie slay something watch The Wizard of Ahhhs, with Todrick Hall.
Oooo, that's a new suggestion for me. Thanks!
I followed you because if this is truly your first time hearing them then i look forward to the wild ride you are about to take. There will be no stopping once you hear a few more of there songs
Thanks for subbing! Yes, I am completely new to PTX. My son talked about them a while back and sadly I never checked them out. Better late than never, I suppose :)
Three members from Arlington, the trio,
New sub here for Pentatonix, they’re phenomenal 🔥🤘
I see you have a lot of Home Free reactions, they’re a lot of fun and I luv those guys but PTX is # 1 for me 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Thanks for subbing!
more please 😊
You need to catch up -Do more-The Prayer,Imagine,Sound of Silence etc..etc…One of the best ways to grow your channel is to do PTX. Ck our their 2023 visualizer song, “I Rise”. We Pentaholics never tire of them….
Lover your reaction 😊❤