Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
group from
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
, currently consisting of
vocalists
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
Mitch Grassi
Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi (born July 24, 1992) is an American singer, musician and songwriter from Arlington, Texas. Known for his high tenor voice, Grassi came to international attention as the founder and performer of two groups—the quint ...
,
Scott Hoying
Scott Richard Hoying (born September 17, 1991)Nguyen, Mindy (December 19, 2016A Pentatonix Christmas (Music Review)The Lion's Roar is an American singer, musician and songwriter who came to international attention as the baritone of the a cappell ...
,
Kirstin Maldonado
Kirstin Taylor Maldonado (born May 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as the mezzo-soprano of the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards ...
,
Kevin Olusola
Kevin Oluwole Olusola, also known as K.O., (born October 5, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter, beatboxer, and cellist. Olusola is best known as the beatboxer of the a cappella group Pentatonix. After the group won NBC's '' The Sing-Off'' in ...
, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their
pop-style
arrangement
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
s with vocal harmonies,
basslines
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and som ...
,
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
ing,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, and
beatboxing
Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. , they produce
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of modern pop works or
Christmas songs
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...
, sometimes in the form of
medleys
Medley or Medleys may refer to:
Sports
*Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles
* Medley relay races at track meets
Music
* Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together
People
*Medley (surname), list of people with this na ...
, along with original material. Pentatonix formed in 2011 and subsequently won the
third season of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's ''
The Sing-Off
''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...
,'' receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
. When Sony's
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
dropped the group after ''The Sing-Off'', the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through
Madison Gate Records
Madison Gate Records, Inc. is an American record label owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment that specializes in soundtracks and other recordings derived from films, television programs, and other entertainment media.
History
Madison Gate Records ...
, a label owned by Sony Pictures.
Their YouTube channel currently has 19.8 million subscribers and 5.7 billion views. The group's video tribute to
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
had received more than 364 million views as of November 17, 2022.
Their debut
EP ''
PTX, Volume 1
''PTX, Volume 1'' is the debut extended play album by the a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released on June 26, 2012.
Conception and development
After winning the title of champion in the reality show ''The Sing-Off'', Pentatonix was signed to ...
'' was released in 2012, followed by their holiday release ''
PTXmas
''PTXmas'' is the second extended play and the first Christmas-themed recording by American a cappella group Pentatonix
Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists M ...
'' the same year, with Pentatonix's third release, ''
PTX, Vol. II
''PTX, Vol. II'' (Volume 2) is the third extended play (EP) by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released digitally on November 5, 2013, while physical versions of the album were available from November 12, 2013. As of October 23, 2015 ...
'', debuting at number 1 on ''
Billboard''s
Independent Albums chart and number 10 on the
''Billboard'' 200 in 2013.
In May 2014, Pentatonix signed with
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, a "flagship" label of
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
,
while in the same year, the group released their fourth EP, ''
PTX, Vol. III'', and two full-length studio albums; ''
PTX, Vols. 1 & 2'', a compilation album released in Japan, Korea and Australia, and their second holiday release, ''
That's Christmas to Me
''That's Christmas to Me'' is the third studio album by a cappella group Pentatonix. It is their sixth release overall and their second holiday release following their 2012 EP ''PTXmas''. It only features previously unreleased material (except " Le ...
'', with the album certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), platinum on December 24, 2014, and double platinum on February 11, 2016, becoming the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962, and the fourth-best-selling album in the United States in 2014.
The following year, Pentatonix released
their eponymous album, their first consisting mostly of original material, which debuted atop the US
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
chart for the first time in their career, followed by a third Christmas album, ''
A Pentatonix Christmas
''A Pentatonix Christmas'' is the fifth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their second full-length holiday album since ''That's Christmas to Me'' in 2014. Featuring two new original songs, "Good to Be Bad" and "Th ...
'', in 2016, and a new EP, ''
PTX, Vol. IV – Classics'', the year after.
In September 2017,
Avi Kaplan
Avriel Benjamin Kaplan (born April 17, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he rele ...
, the group’s original bass, left the group and was replaced by Matt Sallee,
who was featured on their next album ''
PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I''. Sallee graduated from
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, where he had been a member of the a cappella group Pitch Slapped.
Pentatonix has won three
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s: they were the first a cappella act to win
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in
2015 and
2016,
and
Best Country Duo/Group Performance in
2017.
Career
Background
Pentatonix began with
Kirstin Maldonado
Kirstin Taylor Maldonado (born May 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as the mezzo-soprano of the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards ...
(born May 16, 1992),
Mitch Grassi
Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi (born July 24, 1992) is an American singer, musician and songwriter from Arlington, Texas. Known for his high tenor voice, Grassi came to international attention as the founder and performer of two groups—the quint ...
(born July 24, 1992), and
Scott Hoying
Scott Richard Hoying (born September 17, 1991)Nguyen, Mindy (December 19, 2016A Pentatonix Christmas (Music Review)The Lion's Roar is an American singer, musician and songwriter who came to international attention as the baritone of the a cappell ...
(born September 17, 1991) who grew up together and were schoolmates at
Martin High School in
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...
.
For a local radio show competition to meet the cast of ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'', they arranged and submitted a trio version of "
Telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
," the hit song by
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and featuring
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
. Despite losing the competition, their singing sparked attention at their school, and they began performing. Their version of "Telephone" subsequently gained attention on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
.
![Avi Kaplan Barcelona 15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Avi_Kaplan_Barcelona_15.jpg)
Hoying and Maldonado both graduated from
Martin High School in 2010, Grassi in 2011. Hoying went off to the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC) to pursue a degree in popular music performance, while Maldonado pursued a degree in musical theatre at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
.
While at USC, Scott Hoying joined group called
SoCal VoCals
The SoCal VoCals are the first of nine a cappella groups from the University of Southern California. Founded in 1996, the group's signature achievement is being the only a cappella group to win five titles in ICCA, which it accomplished in 2008, ...
. He found out about ''The Sing-Off'' from another member of the group, Ben Bram (also their arranger, producer, and sound engineer), and was encouraged to audition for the show.
He persuaded Maldonado and Grassi to join him, but Bram suggested having a bass and beatboxer as well to support the group. Through a mutual friend, Hoying met
Avi Kaplan
Avriel Benjamin Kaplan (born April 17, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he rele ...
(born April 17, 1989), a highly recognized vocal bass in the a cappella community. Then, the trio found
Kevin Olusola
Kevin Oluwole Olusola, also known as K.O., (born October 5, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter, beatboxer, and cellist. Olusola is best known as the beatboxer of the a cappella group Pentatonix. After the group won NBC's '' The Sing-Off'' in ...
(born October 5, 1988) on YouTube, where one of his videos in which he was simultaneously beatboxing and playing the cello (called "celloboxing") had gone viral. Olusola was born in
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...
, and graduated pre-med from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
.
The group met the day before the auditions for the third season of ''
The Sing-Off
''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...
'' began.
The group successfully auditioned for the show and eventually went on to win the title for 2011 (season three).
Pentatonix, as suggested by Scott Hoying, is named after the
pentatonic scale
A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale).
Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many an ...
, a musical
scale or
mode
Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine
* ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
with five
notes
Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to:
Music and entertainment
* Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music
* Notes (album), ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian
* ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) sho ...
per
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
, representing the five members of the group. They replaced the last letter with an "x" to make it more appealing.
The quintet derives its influences from
pop,
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
,
electro,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
,
hip hop, and classical music.
''The Sing-Off'' (2011)
Pentatonix performed the following songs on ''The Sing Off''. The group did not perform in Episode 1 or 3.
''PTX Vol. 1'' and ''PTXMas'' (2011–13)
![Ptxlogo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Ptxlogo.jpg)
Scott Hoying and Kirstie Maldonado dropped out of college in hopes of winning ''The Sing-Off'', while Mitch Grassi skipped his high school graduation to audition for the show. After they won, all of the members relocated to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career as recording artists. The main goal of the group was to become the first mainstream a cappella group in recent times.
In January 2012, having signed with Sony Pictures-owned label
Madison Gate Records
Madison Gate Records, Inc. is an American record label owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment that specializes in soundtracks and other recordings derived from films, television programs, and other entertainment media.
History
Madison Gate Records ...
,
the group began working on their first album with producer Ben Bram. During that six-month period of picking covers and writing originals, Pentatonix released covers of both popular and classic songs on YouTube. In interviews, the members mention that it was a way to stay relevant to their audience that enjoyed their work on "The Sing-Off", in addition to gaining new fans. Almost all of their covers, including "
Somebody That I Used to Know
"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written, produced, and performed by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye featuring vocals from New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand by Eleven Music on ...
" by
Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
featuring
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and s ...
, "
Gangnam Style
"Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...
" by
PSY
Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
and "
We Are Young
"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, '' Some Nights'' (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead singl ...
" by
Fun
Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment".
Etymology and usage
The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...
, went viral on YouTube.
Their first
EP, ''
PTX, Volume 1
''PTX, Volume 1'' is the debut extended play album by the a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released on June 26, 2012.
Conception and development
After winning the title of champion in the reality show ''The Sing-Off'', Pentatonix was signed to ...
'', was released on June 26, 2012, charting at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and number 5 on the digital chart.
It sold 20,000 copies in its first week of release. The group promoted the album through press appearances on ''Access Hollywood'', VH1 ''The Buzz'', Marie, and local television shows. Pentatonix were also featured on the Chinese version of ''The Sing-Off'' as guests where Kevin showcased his fluency in Mandarin.
Pentatonix also embarked on their first national headlining tour in the fall of 2012. The tour was sold-out and spanned 30 cities.
[Pitilli, Lawrence ] Opening acts consisted of Alexander Cardinale and SJ Acoustic Music.
![Pentatonix concert Paris](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Pentatonix_concert_Paris.jpg)
The group released their Christmas EP, ''PTXmas'', on November 13, 2012. The group released their video of an original arrangement of "Carol of the Bells" the following day. The group performed on "Coca-Cola Red Carpet LIVE! @ The 2012 American Music Awards" Pre-Show on November 18, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, and the "94.7 THE WAVE Christmas Concert Starring Dave Koz and Kenny Loggins" on December 16. The group was also featured guests on Katie Couric (ABC), ''Home and Family'' (Hallmark), ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', and Big D NYE. Ryan Seacrest's website named Pentatonix the 2012 "Featured Artist of the Year" for their expansive growth online in just one year. The Christmas album was re-released on November 19, 2013, as a deluxe edition containing two additional tracks. One of these, "Little Drummer Boy" charted in several ''
Billboard'' categories including peaking at number two on the "Streaming Songs" chart and number one on the Holiday 100 chart, receiving a number of ''
Billboard'' awards. ''PTXmas'' reappeared on the ''Billboard'' charts again in November 2014, placing No. 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 4 on the Holiday charts, giving Pentatonix three albums on the ''Billboard'' 200 at the same time.
On ''
Billboard''s 2014 Year-End charts, PTXmas was No. 8 on the ''Catalogue Albums'' chart and No. 119 on the Top ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
'' Albums chart, with Pentatonix ranked as No. 46 on the Top ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
'' Artists chart.
As of December 24, 2014, PTXmas has sold 356,000 copies.
''PTX Vol. II'' (2013–14)
The band went on their second national headlining tour from January 24, 2013, to May 11, 2013, and simultaneously wrote additional original material for their second EP, ''
PTX, Vol. II
''PTX, Vol. II'' (Volume 2) is the third extended play (EP) by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released digitally on November 5, 2013, while physical versions of the album were available from November 12, 2013. As of October 23, 2015 ...
''.
The group released the first single, a cover of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us" on August 20, 2013, which to date has over 90 million views. The group also promoted ''PTX, Vol. II'' on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' in November 2013, after the success of "The Evolution of
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
" mashup on YouTube.
That week, the band was featured on "Around the World with Diane Sawyer" and were named "Persons of the Week".
In March 2013, Pentatonix and
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
ist
Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling (born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, songwriter, and dancer. She presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007.
Stirling pe ...
released their cover of the
Imagine Dragons song "
Radioactive
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consi ...
", and won for Response of the Year at the
YouTube Music Awards
The YouTube Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as YTMA) is an awards show presented by YouTube to honor the best in the music video medium.
History
The 2013 edition of the YTMAs were held at Pier 36 in New York City and were broadcast live at ' ...
. In July of the same year, along with
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
contestant and fellow Arlington Texan
Todrick Hall
Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a huge following on YouTu ...
, they released "The Wizard of Ahhhs", which mashes up several songs to create one song. The music video follows the story of the 1939 film ''
The Wizard of Oz'' with the artists dressed as its numerous lead roles.
![Pentatonix performing in St Louis, Missouri in 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Pentatonix_performing_in_St_Louis%2C_Missouri_in_2013.jpg)
''PTX Vol. II'' was released on November 5, 2013, in conjunction with their second album single on YouTube: a medley of
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
songs. The video went viral, garnering more than ten million views in the first week, and as of December 2018, had over 290 million views.
The medley was later nominated for and won
Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a Cappella of the
57th Grammy Awards. ''PTX, Vol. II'' debuted at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number one on the Independent charts, selling 31,000 copies in the first week. Pentatonix subsequently re-released a deluxe version of PTXmas on November 18, 2013, with two new tracks, "Little Drummer Boy" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain". Their YouTube video of "Little Drummer Boy", released near the end of November, garnered more than ten million views in the first week and reached number ten on the iTunes top songs charts worldwide. The song both debuted and peaked at number 13 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 21, 2013. The video has over 200 million views as of December 2018.
In May 2014, Pentatonix signed with
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, a "flagship" label of
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
.
On July 30, through the new label, the group released their first official album ''
PTX, Vols. 1 & 2'' in Japan, containing all of the songs from their two namesake EPs and four additional tracks, previously released as singles. It was released in Australia on August 15 and in the Philippines on September 26.
''PTX Vol. III'' and ''That's Christmas to Me'' (2014)
![Pentatonix in Paradiso 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Pentatonix_in_Paradiso_2014.jpg)
On August 7, 2014, Pentatonix announced that their third EP ''
PTX, Vol. III'' would be released on September 23, 2014. The EP went up for pre-order on iTunes on August 11, 2014, and included a download of two tracks from the EP, "Problem" and "La La Latch".
''PTX Vol. III'' debuted at number 5 on the
''Billboard'' 200.
The group also revealed on August a second full-length Christmas album, ''
That's Christmas to Me
''That's Christmas to Me'' is the third studio album by a cappella group Pentatonix. It is their sixth release overall and their second holiday release following their 2012 EP ''PTXmas''. It only features previously unreleased material (except " Le ...
'', titled after the title track of the album, an original song that was penned by Pentatonix themselves.
The album was released on October 21, 2014 and peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and number 4 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. A single from the album, the group's cover of "
Mary, Did You Know? "Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, with lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and music written by Buddy Greene in 1991. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self ...
", both debuted and peaked on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart at number 26, at number 7 on ''
Billboard''s Adult Contemporary chart, and at number 44 on the ''
Billboard''
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
chart. Another single ''"That's Christmas To Me"'', the title track from the album, also peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard''
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart.
Pentatonix is also the first act to top both the Holiday Albums and Holiday Songs charts simultaneously since the Holiday 100 launched as a multi-metric tabulation in December 2011. The album is also the highest charting Holiday album by a group since 1962.
During the holiday season, 7 songs from ''That's Christmas to Me'' charted on ''Billboard''s Holiday Digital Songs chart. On December 10, 2014 ''That's Christmas to Me'' was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. On December 24, 2014, the album was certified Platinum. By year's end (December 31, 2014), ''Billboard'' reported the album had reached a total of 1.14 million copies sold—becoming the 4th best selling album of 2014 by any artist of any genre (being surpassed only by Taylor Swift's ''1989'', the ''Frozen Soundtrack'', and Sam Smith's ''In the Lonely Hour'') and was the Top Selling Holiday Album for 2014. On February 11, 2016, the album was certified Double Platinum.
Self-titled album, ''A Pentatonix Christmas'', and ''PTX, Vol. IV'' (2015–2017)
In late December, Scott Hoying stated that for 2015, "Pentatonix is transitioning towards original music." A release of a full-length album consisting of only original material was planned. Hoying also stated, "We're at the point in our careers now
here
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here
Television
* Here TV (form ...
we must go to original music, and we want to go to original music; we have so much to say, and I think it's gonna be quite a journey."
On August 28, 2015, Pentatonix announced on social media that a
self-titled album, the group's third full-length album and first album made of mostly original music, would be released on October 16, 2015.
On September 4, 2015, Pentatonix released "
Can't Sleep Love" the first single from their upcoming album. On September 18, 2015, a second version featuring
Tink was released online. On October 9, 2015, Pentatonix released their second single, a cover of Jack Ü and Justin Bieber's "
Where Are Ü Now
"Where Are Ü Now" is a song produced by American EDM artists Skrillex and Diplo under their collaborative effort Jack Ü, with vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was released as the second single from the duo's debut studio alb ...
". The album ended up being released one day early as a surprise gift to their fans. On that same day, Pentatonix released their third single, "Sing".
The album debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200.
In the US, the album started with 98,000 units (88,000 in pure album sales).
On February 8, 2016, the album was certified Gold.
On April 14, 2016, the music video was released for Pentatonix's cover with
Jason Derulo of
Shai's "
If I Ever Fall In Love". In August 2016, the music video of Pentatonix's "
Perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
Medley," a medley of songs by the Japanese girl group Perfume, was also released. The medley consisted of the songs "
Spending All My Time", "
Pick Me Up", "
Chocolate Disco", and "
Polyrhythm
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music ( cross-rhyt ...
".
Their second full-length Christmas album, titled ''
A Pentatonix Christmas
''A Pentatonix Christmas'' is the fifth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their second full-length holiday album since ''That's Christmas to Me'' in 2014. Featuring two new original songs, "Good to Be Bad" and "Th ...
'', was released on October 21, 2016. It features 11 songs, including the two originals "The Christmas Sing-Along" and "Good to Be Bad".
It debuted on the
''Billboard'' 200 at number three with 52,000 albums sold in its first week,
and later peaked at number one. The album also debuted atop the ''Billboard'' Holiday Albums chart, their second number one on that chart after ''That's Christmas to Me''.
Their fifth EP, ''
PTX, Vol. IV – Classics'', was released on April 7, 2017.
It marked a departure from the group's typical sound, focusing on covers of
standards of
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
, and older pop music.
New bass, ''Top Pop, Vol. I'', ''Christmas Is Here!'', and ''The Best of Pentatonix Christmas'' (2017–2019)
In May 2017, the band announced in a YouTube video that Avi Kaplan would leave the group following their upcoming tour. The split was amicable and centered on his inability to keep up with the touring demands of the group, and deal with the distance from his family.
On July 31, the group released the single "
Dancing on My Own
"Dancing On My Own" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn, released on 20 April 2010 as the lead single from her fifth studio album, '' Body Talk Pt. 1'' (2010), the first in her ''Body Talk'' series. "Dancing On My Own" was produced b ...
", a cover of the
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
by
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 t ...
, their first release without Kaplan (although he was still a member at the time, as the tour was ongoing). Olusola performed cello on the song in lieu of a bass vocalist.
Kaplan performed his last concert with Pentatonix on September 3, 2017, in
Essex Junction, Vermont
Essex Junction is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 10,590. It was incorporated as a village on November 15, 1892. Essex Junction became Vermont’s 10th city on July 1, 2022.
Am ...
.
On October 13, Hoying introduced Matt Sallee as the group's new bass.
The band's first official releases with Sallee were the songs from the deluxe edition of ''A Pentatonix Christmas'', which was released on November 27, 2017. Sallee is also featured on their cover of the
Camila Cabello
Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in ...
song "
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ", which was released as a single from their Top Pop Vol. 1 album on February 23, 2018.
On February 27, 2018, the group announced via their social media the upcoming release a new album titled ''
PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I'' on April 13, 2018, to be followed by a tour in the summer. It marked their first album with Sallee and without Kaplan. It was preceded by three singles: their cover of "
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ", a medley of
Dua Lipa's "
New Rules
"New Rules" is a song by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her eponymous debut studio album (2017). The song was written by Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick also handled the production and offered it to Lipa ...
" and
Aaliyah's "
Are You That Somebody?
"Are You That Somebody?" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah for the ''Dr. Dolittle'' soundtrack (1998). It was co-written and composed by Static Major–who also sang backing vocals–and Timbaland, who, in addition to writin ...
" titled "New Rules x Are You That Somebody?", which they released along with a music video on March 9, and a cover of
Charlie Puth
Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...
's "
Attention
Attention is the behavioral and cognitive process of selectively concentrating on a discrete aspect of information, whether considered subjective or objective, while ignoring other perceivable information. William James (1890) wrote that "Atte ...
", which they released along with a music video on March 23.
On September 20, 2018, the group announced their third full-length holiday album titled ''
Christmas Is Here!
''Christmas Is Here!'' is the seventh studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their third full-length holiday album following ''A Pentatonix Christmas'' in 2016.
It was released on RCA Records, and the first single is a co ...
'' to be released on October 26 of the same year and ''The Christmas Is Here! Tour'' to accompany the album. They also announced the first single from the album, a cover of "Making Christmas" from ''
The Nightmare Before Christmas
''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop-motion
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increme ...
'' which was released on September 28.
The album was released on October 26, 2018.
On October 25, 2019, Pentatonix released their newest Christmas album, a greatest hits compilation album called ''
The Best of Pentatonix Christmas''.
It includes mostly older songs, plus some new ones, such as a cover of "
Do You Hear What I Hear
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a song written in October 1962, with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne Baker, Gloria Shayne. The pair, married at the time, wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney had been ...
" with posthumous vocals from
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
and "
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 animated special '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''.
History
The lyrics were written by
Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music ...
," the latter featuring Sallee on lead.
''At Home'', ''We Need a Little Christmas'', and ''The Lucky Ones'' (2020–2021)
On June 26, 2020, the group released another EP, ''At Home'', containing five new covers, plus a 13-song medley, a total of 6 tracks.
The EP contains Pentatonix covering
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with whom ...
's "
When the Party's Over",
Dua Lipa's "
Break My Heart",
the Cranberries
The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...
' "
Dreams
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
",
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
's "
Blinding Lights
"Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on November 29, 2019, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was written and produced by ...
", and
Clean Bandit
Clean Bandit are an English electronic music group, formed in Cambridge in 2008. They have had four number 1 hits and ten top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They direct and produce their own music videos, many of which have been nominated for ...
's "Cologne".
Each member recorded their arrangement separately in their homes due to them having to quarantine because of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
On November 13, 2020, the group released their fourth Christmas-themed studio album, ''
We Need a Little Christmas
"We Need a Little Christmas" is a popular Christmas song originating from Jerry Herman's Broadway musical ''Mame'', and first performed by Angela Lansbury in that 1966 production.
In the musical, the song is performed after Mame has lost her for ...
.'' The album includes hits such as their covers of "
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
''See the Morning'' is the fourth studio album by Chris Tomlin released on September 26, 2006. The title comes from that idea that "our God is as faithful as the rising sun" and is the "Light of the World". The album was originally released in t ...
," which was released as a single on November 25, 2020, and "12 Days of Christmas." It also includes an original song, "Thank You."
On August 14, 2020, Pentatonix released "Happy Now", their first original single in five years, and the first of an upcoming album of original content. On October 14, Pentatonix released "Be My Eyes", and announced the date of ''
The Lucky Ones'', the first full-length album of originals since 2015, for February 12, 2021. Like ''At Home'' and ''We Need a Little Christmas'', it was recorded in isolation because of the pandemic. A music video for "Coffee in Bed" was released on the same day as the album. The album received general critical acclaim. The deluxe version released on 10th September 2021 with new songs like "Anchor", "Petals", "Midnight in Tokyo" (ft. Little Glee Monster), and more.
''Evergreen'' & ''Holidays Around the World'' (2021–present)
On September 27, 2021, Pentatonix announced their fifth upcoming Christmas-themed album, ''Evergreen'', and released the single "
It's Been a Long, Long Time
"It's Been a Long, Long Time" is a big band-era song that was a hit at the end of World War II, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Background
The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person welcoming home their spouse a ...
" on the same day. They later released their rendition of "
I Just Called to Say I Love You
"I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a ballad written, produced, and performed by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was a major international hit, and remains Wonder's best-selling single to date, having topped a record 19 char ...
" as a single. Their renditions of "
Over the River" with Lindsey Stirling and "
The Prayer" were also released as singles. The album was released on October 29, 2021. Its title track is an original song. The tour for the album, "Pentatonix: The Evergreen Christmas Tour 2021," began on November 27, 2021. The album was nominated for the best traditional pop vocal album at the upcoming 2023 Grammy Awards. Following the album the group released a 70-track compilation album of previously-released Christmas music called "White Christmas."
On September 21, 2022, they announced their sixth Christmas album, ''Holidays Around the World,'' and released the single “Prayers for This World” the same day. The album focuses on celebrating different cultures during the holiday season, and includes new versions of songs previously released by the band plus three originals: "Kid on Christmas" with
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
, "Star on Top", and "Prayers For This World". The album was released October 28, 2022. The group also announced their 2022 North American Christmas tour "Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular". It was preceded by a one-off show at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
with
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series ''Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...
on September 29. The tour began on November 17 in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
.
On December 9, 2022, they released a second version of "Do You Hear What I Hear" with Matteo, Virginia, and
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fr ...
.
Other media
Tours
Pentatonix embarked on their first national headlining tour in autumn of 2012. The tour was sold out and spanned 30 cities. Opening acts consisted of Alexander Cardinale and SJ Acoustic Music. The band went on their second national headlining tour from January 24, 2013, to May 11, 2013, and simultaneously wrote additional original material for their second EP, ''
PTX, Vol. II
''PTX, Vol. II'' (Volume 2) is the third extended play (EP) by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It was released digitally on November 5, 2013, while physical versions of the album were available from November 12, 2013. As of October 23, 2015 ...
''.
In 2014, Pentatonix undertook an extensive tour that included the United States, Canada, Europe and South East Asia.
In 2015, Pentatonix began the North American leg of their "
On My Way Home Tour", which began February 25, 2015, in California and ended at Grand Prairie's Verizon Theatre on March 29. The group started a European tour in Portugal on April 9. This European leg ended in Glasgow on May 6. The Southeast Asian leg of the tour began in Seoul, South Korea on May 28. The last show of this leg was on Jun 16 in Osaka, Japan.
Pentatonix opened for
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
on her
Piece by Piece Tour
The Piece by Piece Tour was the seventh headlining concert tour from American pop recording artist Kelly Clarkson in support of her seventh studio album, '' Piece by Piece'' (2015). It began on July 11, 2015, in Hershey, Pennsylvania and conclud ...
. During Clarkson's set the group performed "
Heartbeat Song" with her.
Due to Clarkson's doctor's requests for vocal rest, the tour was canceled 15 shows early.
In 2016, Pentatonix embarked on the first leg of their "
Pentatonix World Tour" with
Us The Duo
Us the Duo is an American folk pop duo consisting of husband-and-wife Michael and Carissa Alvarado. The duo met in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 2011 on the set of an AJ Rafael music video. They got married in 2012. In 2013, the du ...
. The tour began on April 2, 2016, in
Chiba
Chiba may refer to:
Places China
* (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei
Japan
* Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture
** Chiba Station, a train station
* Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...
, Japan. The second leg ran from May 23 through June 26 in Europe before returning to Japan for two shows in August 2016. The third and fourth legs of the tour (in Oceania and Asia respectively) occurred in September 2016, followed by the fifth leg in North America from October 17 to November 22, 2016. The tour's 2017 shows kicked off in May with another five shows in Japan. The final leg of the tour began July 2, 2017 in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and continued across the United States before concluding in Vermont on September 3, 2017.
The last show marked Kaplan's final performance with the group.
Performances
In September 2012, Pentatonix were invited to perform several of their songs ("
Somebody That I Used to Know
"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written, produced, and performed by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye featuring vocals from New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand by Eleven Music on ...
" by
Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
and "
We Are Young
"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, '' Some Nights'' (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead singl ...
" by
fun.
Fun (stylized as fun.) is an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consists of Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train and Bleachers), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Nate Ruess (then-former lead singer of the Format).
Fun fo ...
) on the Chinese edition of the Sing-Off. In addition, they covered the late Taiwanese pop star
Teresa Teng
Teng Li-Chun (; 29 January 1953 – 8 May 1995), commonly known as Teresa Teng, was a Taiwanese singer, actress, musician and philanthropist. Referred to by some as " Asia's eternal queen of pop," Teng became a cultural icon for her contributio ...
's song,
Tian Mi Mi
"Tian Mi Mi" (; literally "very sweet") is a 1979 Mandarin Chinese song by Teresa Teng. The lyrics were written by Zhuang Nu. The music was adapted from a 1940s gambang kromong about sampan boats called "Dayung Sampan" by the '' pasindhèn'' Da ...
.
Pentatonix appeared and performed on ''
The Today Show
''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
'', ''
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ...
'', ''
The Talk'' and ''
Conan''. The group also returned to ''The Sing-Off'', performing their cover version of
Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...
's "
I Need Your Love" during the Season 4 finale episode, which aired on December 23, 2013.
In November 2014, Pentatonix were invited by
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...
(director, producer and writer) to be involved with the Holiday Window display at Barneys in New York City. Each window had a theme such as "love," "beauty," "truth" and "freedom" with its own soundtrack, recorded by Pentatonix. Pentatonix also performed at the opening night, as well as the "after party" for invited guests.
On November 27, 2014, Pentatonix participated in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, performing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the Homewood Suites float.
Pentatonix also performed during NBC's annual ''Christmas in Rockefeller Center'' special on December 3, 2014, performing "Sleigh Ride" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".
Pentatonix returned to ''The Sing-Off'', performing a medley of songs from ''That's Christmas to Me'' during the Season 5 holiday special, which aired on December 17, 2014.
On December 7, 2014, Pentatonix appeared in The
Kennedy Center Honors award presentation, as part of a presentation to actor
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
, singing the song "That Thing You Do", from Hanks'
film of the same name. President and Mrs. Barack Obama were in the audience. The show was broadcast on CBS on December 30, 2014.
On December 31, 2014, Pentatonix appeared as part of ABC Television Network's ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015'', performing from the ''Billboard ''Hollywood party hosted by
Fergie.
In December 2014, Pentatonix were invited to perform on the final episode of ''
Wetten, dass..?'', a longstanding entertainment show in Germany, performing a medley of songs from artists that have been on the program over the years.
On August 1, 2019, Pentatonix played to their largest ever live crowd (as of August 2019) at the closing ceremony of the 24th World Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Reserve in
Glen Jean, West Virginia
Glen Jean is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, near Oak Hill. As of the 2010 census, its population is 210.
The area had been known as White Oaks, but when the town was founded in the early 1870s t ...
.
On September 1, 2019, Pentatonix performed a rainy, nighttime show at the
173rd Canfield Fair in
Mahoning County, Ohio
Mahoning County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 228,614. Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown, Ohio, Youngstown. The county is List of ...
, for more than 8,000 people. This set a "number of advanced sales," record for JAC Management Group, LLC since taking over Canfield Fair entertainment operations.
Appearances and presentations
Pentatonix appeared on ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' on February 7, 2014.
Pentatonix were presenters at the 2014 American Music Awards, introducing a performance by
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
,
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
, and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
. The group was also featured in the "YouTube Rewind 2014" video as one of the most subscribed YouTube music channels.
Pentatonix was on the Disney Channel show, ''
K.C. Undercover'' on June 14, 2015.
Maldonado, Hoying, and Grassi appeared as members of a cappella groups in the
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
television show ''
Bones
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, a ...
'', in the episode "The Strike In the Chord" that originally aired on May 19, 2016.
They made a guest appearance on ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'' on November 24, 2016, where they sang their rendition of "
Jolene" alongside
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip ho ...
and the song's writer and original performer,
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
.
On "The Muppets"
V series 2015They were guest stars on episode 7-'Pigs in a Blackout' as themselves. Air date: November 10th, 2015.
On December 14, 2016, the group hosted their first Christmas special, titled around their current album, ''A Pentatonix Christmas Special''. The hour-long special aired on NBC and featured guest appearances by
Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
. NBC broadcast Pentatonix Christmas specials in 2017 and 2018, as well.
In December 2018, the group made a guest appearance on ''
Darci Lynne
Darci Lynne Farmer (born October 12, 2004) is an American ventriloquist, singer and actress. Lynne has been credited with the revival of ventriloquism, earning praise and numerous accolades for her work.
Born in Oklahoma, Lynne developed an int ...
: My Hometown Christmas''.
On December 11, 2018, they performed "
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had s ...
" on ''
The Talk''.
On October 14, 2020, Pentatonix performed "
Higher Love
"Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, ''Back in the High Life'' (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The ...
" at the
2020 Billboard Music Awards with
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
and
Sheila E.
Film
Pentatonix had a cameo role in ''
Pitch Perfect 2'', released in May 2015, as the Canadian team competing against the Barden Bellas.
Pentatonix also released a documentary about the group's journey titled "On My Way Home" (based on the original song of the same name from ''
PTX, Vol. III'' and the group's 2015 tour) on June 18, 2015, which was promoted on social media through the hashtag #OnMyWayHomeProject.
Disney announced at the D23 Expo event in Anaheim, California, a brand new holiday unscripted special, “Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays” that would come to
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
in the 2022 holiday season. It premiered on December 2, 2022. The plot of the special is that Pentatonix is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, but when they are sent on a whirlwind tour around the world, the group learns that "wherever we find ourselves, the holidays offer the perfect opportunity to discover how much we have in common and that it really is a small world, after all!" The special was produced by
Done and Dusted, executive producers are Ashley Edens, David Jammy, Katy Mullan. The cast includes Pentatonix – Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Matt Sallee and
Nico Santos Nico Santos may refer to:
*Nico Santos (actor) (born 1979), American actor
*Nico Santos (singer) (born 1993), German-Spanish singer, songwriter, producer
*Niccolo "Nico" Santos, a character in the Philippine romantic fantasy drama television series ...
as the manager.
Awards and nominations
Philanthropy
During ''The Sing-Off'', Pentatonix visited the administrative offices of
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number wher ...
, an American
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on
suicide prevention efforts among
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
,
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
,
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
,
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
, and
questioning (
LGBTQ
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
) youth. The group members shared their experiences of overcoming bullying and recorded a
public service announcement
A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...
. A 60-second spot about The Trevor Project aired during the live finale, but it was met with considerable controversy as the producers edited out LGBTQ references and failed to acknowledge the orientations of Grassi and Hoying, who are both a part of the LGBTQ community.
Pentatonix performed two shows in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, on December 11, 2011, in support of the
University of Rochester YellowJackets' "United We Sing"
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
project. The event, which also featured all-female octet Delilah, was hosted by the YellowJackets at Kodak Hall at the university's
Eastman Theatre
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre is the largest performance venue at the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, located in downtown Rochester, New York.
The theatre was established by industrialist George Eastman and opened on Septe ...
. Pentatonix was also invited to the A Cappella Palooza fundraiser in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
in April 2012 (together with
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...
, Delilah,
The Dartmouth Aires
The Dartmouth Aires is an Ivy League a cappella group from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The group rose to fame in the third season of the NBC musical competition ''The Sing-Off'', placing runner-up behind international a cappell ...
, North Shore and the Dear Abbeys from
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
) in an effort to raise funds for the
Mass General
Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...
Cancer Center.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
PTX, Vols. 1 & 2'' (2014)
* ''
PTX'' (2014)
* ''
That's Christmas to Me
''That's Christmas to Me'' is the third studio album by a cappella group Pentatonix. It is their sixth release overall and their second holiday release following their 2012 EP ''PTXmas''. It only features previously unreleased material (except " Le ...
'' (2014)
* ''
Pentatonix'' (2015)
* ''
A Pentatonix Christmas
''A Pentatonix Christmas'' is the fifth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their second full-length holiday album since ''That's Christmas to Me'' in 2014. Featuring two new original songs, "Good to Be Bad" and "Th ...
'' (2016)
* ''
PTX, Vol. IV: Classics'' (2017)
* ''
PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I'' (2018)
* ''
Christmas is Here!
''Christmas Is Here!'' is the seventh studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their third full-length holiday album following ''A Pentatonix Christmas'' in 2016.
It was released on RCA Records, and the first single is a co ...
'' (2018)
* ''
We Need a Little Christmas
"We Need a Little Christmas" is a popular Christmas song originating from Jerry Herman's Broadway musical ''Mame'', and first performed by Angela Lansbury in that 1966 production.
In the musical, the song is performed after Mame has lost her for ...
'' (2020)
*
''The Lucky Ones'' (2021)
* ''Evergreen'' (2021)
* ''Holidays Around the World (2022)''
Compilation albums
* ''
The Best of Pentatonix Christmas'' (2019)
* ''White Christmas'' (2021)
Members
*
Mitch Grassi
Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi (born July 24, 1992) is an American singer, musician and songwriter from Arlington, Texas. Known for his high tenor voice, Grassi came to international attention as the founder and performer of two groups—the quint ...
–
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
lead and backing vocals
(2011–present)
*
Scott Hoying
Scott Richard Hoying (born September 17, 1991)Nguyen, Mindy (December 19, 2016A Pentatonix Christmas (Music Review)The Lion's Roar is an American singer, musician and songwriter who came to international attention as the baritone of the a cappell ...
–
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
and
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
(2011–present)
*
Kirstin Maldonado
Kirstin Taylor Maldonado (born May 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as the mezzo-soprano of the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards ...
–
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
lead and backing vocals
(2011–present)
*
Kevin Olusola
Kevin Oluwole Olusola, also known as K.O., (born October 5, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter, beatboxer, and cellist. Olusola is best known as the beatboxer of the a cappella group Pentatonix. After the group won NBC's '' The Sing-Off'' in ...
–
vocal percussion
Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo.
In Western music
Recent ...
,
beatboxing
Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. ,
baritenor
Baritenor (also rendered in English language sources as bari-tenor or baritenore) is a portmanteau (blend) of the words "baritone" and "tenor." It is used to describe both baritone and tenor voices. In ''Webster's Third New International Dictionar ...
backing vocals,
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
(2011–present)
* Matt Sallee –
vocal bass, vocal percussion,
bass lead and backing vocals
(2017–present)
Former members
*
Avi Kaplan
Avriel Benjamin Kaplan (born April 17, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his basso profondo range and for his tenure as the vocal bass of the a cappella group Pentatonix from 2011 to 2017. As a part of the group, he rele ...
– vocal bass, vocal percussion, bass lead and backing vocals
(2011–2017)
Concert tours
Headlining
* VIP Tour (2012-2014)
*
On My Way Home Tour (2015)
*
Pentatonix World Tour (2016–2017)
*
A Pentatonix Christmas Tour (2017)
*
PTX Summer Tour 2018 (2018)
*
Christmas Is Here Tour (2018)
*
Pentatonix: The World Tour (2019–2023)
* The Evergreen Tour (2021)
* Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular (2022)
Opening act
*
Piece by Piece Tour
The Piece by Piece Tour was the seventh headlining concert tour from American pop recording artist Kelly Clarkson in support of her seventh studio album, '' Piece by Piece'' (2015). It began on July 11, 2015, in Hershey, Pennsylvania and conclud ...
with
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
(2015)
See also
*
Superfruit, a musical/comedy duo consisting of Pentatonix members Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
2011 establishments in Texas
American vocal groups
Grammy Award winners
YouTubers from Texas
YouTube channels launched in 2011
Professional a cappella groups
Musical groups established in 2011
Musical groups from Texas
RCA Records artists
Vocal quintets
Shorty Award winners
A cappella musical groups