Move over Glee, there’s a new sensation hitting the nation: Pentatonix. This group, so named for “the world’s most widely recognized five-note music scale,” is a quintent comprised of members Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan, and Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, and the only instruments they use are their voices. Though this is not in itself revolutionary (Glee popularized a capella before Pentatonix arrived on the music scene), what is revolutionary is the artistry behind Pentatonix’s arrangements. Each vocalist brings his or her experience and talent to the group, and together Pentatonix has an undeniably magical chemistry. Their sound and their musical arrangements are inspired by myriad music genres from jazz and R&B to dubstep and electronica. The result is fresh, captivating, and soulful.
Ever since Pentatonix was crowned the Season 3 winner of NBC’s The Sing-Off, they have gained a huge following. They have produced and released three EPs, PTX Vol. 1, PTXmas, and PTX Vol. 2 (all available on iTunes), through Madison Gate Records and made two tours of North America. Their YouTube channel has over 4 million subscribers, and they have “more than 525,000 Facebook fans and 150,000 Twitter followers.” Their most popular music video on YouTube, a Daft Punk medley, has garnered almost 50 million views since it was posted in November 2013.
How is it that Pentatonix has so quickly become popular? For one, people are always looking for something they haven’t heard before, and Pentatonix definitely fits the bill. Scott Hoying, one of the group’s lead vocalists, says, “I feel like a lot of people are looking for this kind of raw organic sound that’s not really produced…I think they just want to hear good singing nowadays.” Another reason for Pentatonix’s popularity is their self-promotion through social media. The group’s beatboxer Kevin Olusola says of the group’s success: “It’s really about creating your own fan base…You can do it all yourself through YouTube, through Twitter, through Facebook.”
This year, Pentatonix is touring the United States again, performing in venues like the Chicago Theater and the House of Blues in Boston. Every single show on this tour is sold out, and tickets for their Europe tour in May are already being purchased. For more information about their tours, click here.
