First Time Reaction | Pentatonix - Bohemian Rhapsody | " Who are They?"

[@susanb4213]

Pentatonix absolutely in fact paved the way for the other a cappella groups you mentioned. They have billions of views on KZbin, three Grammy awards (nominated this year for their fifth time), movie credits, just received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, etc. I'll let the Pentaholics fill you in on them, but they have a very impressive body of work that would take you weeks to get through. They have a new release (just days ago), a live version of Kiss From a Rose on Vevo if you want to see their newest stuff. It's a brilliant arrangement. Thanks for the reaction!

[@kelliepeak5384]

Yes! Kiss From a Rose is absolutely sublime ❤ But then again, everything they touch is absolute perfection 🥰 Even those with solo acts.

[@Gwennedd]

I'll concur that Kiss From A Rose is absolutely incredible and these guys should go react to it.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Wow that's some solid credentials! Really surprised we have never heard of them before the Home Free fan base informed us.

[@Gwennedd]

@@highlyreactivereactions, because they're a capella, they;re not on the radio or mainstream music, despite the growing recognition of these types of groups. I don't think that Sony markets them well enough.

[@susanb4213]

@@highlyreactivereactions If you do check out Kiss from a Rose, you will see that PTX occasionally uses instruments-in this case, Kevin performs his "cello-boxing" (beat boxing while shredding the cello) on his electric cello in a masterful performance.

[@kathycarias1271]

Home Free and VoicePlay are top tier talent. PTX is out of this world talent.

[@vilmariehernandez6726]

Agree

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We love Home Free and Voiceplay so defintely looking forward to see more PTX

[@bfly5990]

Yes ❤❤❤

[@heatherjames7063]

Absolutely love PTX! My favorite a capella group of all time ❤

[@camillep3631]

they are the pinnacle

[@susanstein6604]

Mitch Grassi does the guitar solo live without the megaphone. Brian May, Queen’s lead guitarist linked to this video on his social media. Simply saying “This is great. Enjoy!” The night starry sky was in homage to Brian May. He went back to university after Freddie Mercury’s death a got a PhD in astrophysics.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Wow that's amazing. Thank younfor sharing

[@sheilatumpach2112]

And the 4 shooting stars represent the 4 original members.

[@heinleinreader]

Side note: there were four shooting stars in that starscape, one for each member of Queen. Also, not only was Mitch a guitar, but Kevin was an entire drum kit complete with cymbals, high hats, snares, and everything else. Avi was wind chimes and a bass guitar. Kirsten and Scott were collectively a synthesizer. If you would like to see Kirsten shine, try Say Something. Sound of Silence, Mary Did You Know, Imagine, the Prayer, Daft Punk Medley (Grammy winner), 90s Dance Medley, Amazing Grace (especially if you want to hear Kevin sing), and Wizard of Aahs are all good choices. They also have their Evolution of... series. Happy listening and welcome to the rabbit hole.

[@ShinyElfriend]

Nobody is related, though I can see why you maybe thought so in this video. Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott, known as "The Trio" (Top row at the beginning) knew each other from childhood and sang together in high school in Texas, they added Kevin (beatboxer, bottom row left) and Avi (bass, bottom row, right) in 2011 to audition for (and win) Season 3 of "The Sing Off" as Pentatonix for the first time. They have been performing as Pentatonix ever since. In 2017, Avi stepped back and was replaced by Matt, but that is the only difference in personnel. It may be confusing at first because Kirstin and Mitch are style chameleons, but once you get to know their voices you'll never mistake them for anyone else, lol. Someone else recommended you watch their brand new live performance of "Kiss From a Rose" and it really is a great contrast between then and now. Not only is it a fantastic song, but they eat it for lunch and then look at the camera like, yeah, we did that. They have always been astonishing, but somehow they have matured and gained confidence, and they are astonishing PLUS, now, lol. They are almost entirely acapella, but as they have grown as musicians they have occasionally added an instrument or two from time to time when it enhances their concept. Normally if they add an instrument, it is Kevin playing cello or electric cello, (celloboxing, lol), and/or Scott playing piano. All of them have solo-worthy vocals, incredible ranges, and they all have solo material on the side that is top tier. This is a very deep and addicting rabbit hole. Great first reaction! Welcome to PTX.

[@GingerJohnson-uu9lw]

You forgot Matt playing drums.

[@ShinyElfriend]

@@GingerJohnson-uu9lw I could never, lol! He doesn't play in any of their videos, though, at least not that I remember off hand, except their amazing live ones which I highly recommend .

[@hapymom13]

@@ShinyElfriend its in the live recording of "Kevin's fifth" that I've seen so far but after seeing them in concert I look forward to him adding in on more videos!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We really appreciate that that information. We do plan on reacting to alot more Pentatonix and it's these comments which really help us get to know the group and you are certainly well knowledged and a true fan 😊

[@paulastevens70]

SPOILERS!!! I just saw that they were on The Masked Singer this season!! Amazing! And they were in the movie Candy Cane Lane too...

[@vanessalloyd2346]

Guys where have you been l?!!! Living under a rock ?😂 Welcome to the best acapella group in the world. These guys are multi grammy award winning artists who opened the door for all the other popular acapella groups you mentioned. Pick a song you'll not find a bad one . They also do originals aswell as covers. This one is at least 7 or 8 years old and is one of their most popular. I'll let others fill you in on their story. I recommend their covers of imagine by John lennon, mad world, hallelujah, the prayer . They have just dropped their latest which is a cover of seals kiss from a rose and it's insane!! FYI they have had one line up change in 12 years and that's the bass avi kaplin. He was replaced by matt sallee. Be prepared for a big potential boost to your subs if you continue down this ptx journey. Members of ptx are as follows:- mitch grassi (Centre top), Scott hoying (top right), kirstin montanaldo (top left), Kevin olusola ( bottom left)and avi kaplin (bottom right) . Great reaction .

[@Gwennedd]

Small correction: Kirstin (Kirstie is her preferred name) Maldonado. Mitch Grassi is a counter tenor Scott Hoying is a baritone Kirstie Maldonado is a mezzo-soprano Kevin Olusola is a tenor, beatboxer and cellist Avi Kaplan is the bass and was replaced in 2017 by Matt Sallee.

[@steveeverett1736]

also with Kevin, you can see him play Cello on the PTX cover of Radioactive which also has Lindsey Stirling guesting on it@@Gwennedd

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Haha I know after reading what they have done and achieved we are really surprised we have generally never heard of them until we started listening to acapella which started off with Home Free. We are glad we are here and get to learn a whole new group though. Thank you for the kind words and recommendations 😊

[@steveeverett1736]

I think you've said you've heard some Voiceplay, check their modern cover of the Chipmunks Christmas Don't be Late . You'll love it@@highlyreactivereactions

[@JoleneDaviesITKWJ]

@@highlyreactivereactions Might blow your mind to watch the Sing Off then!! PTX won the season before Home Free

[@richardmason4941]

Oh boy have you two opened up a rabbit hole here!! You play Pentatonix and the Pentaholics will come a subscribe to your channel!!

[@carolscott1686]

So true. I just did.😉

[@dalemartindale5372]

I LOVE watching new reactors see them for literally the first time. I'm waiting for their Mitch Slap moment!😂 Gotta love watching a newborn Pentaholic! Welcome to the rabbit hole guys.

[@terrimoore7082]

same!! @@carolscott1686

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We appreciate the Pentaholics love and support. Hopfully we can bring some new fans to Pentatonix aswell 😊

[@beverlypearson5332]

@@carolscott1686 Same here

[@jamesensley3906]

Brian May, the Queen guitarist, gave this video a nice shout out on his social media.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Really? Love that

[@katarinad1309]

@@highlyreactivereactionsPentatonix does a wide range of different music styles because of the diversity of the musical interests of the group. The reason I point this out is because many of the greatest and most respected artists whose songs they have done have acknowledged them as exceptional artists. Their Christmas catalog is extensive my fav is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy just trust me here lol. Heck they even made The Twelve Days of Christmas a song you can enjoy instead of a slog to get through. Welcome to the Rabbit hole.

[@LindaVernon]

​@@highlyreactivereactionsReally! 😀 He shared it on all his socials. He was particularly complimentary on Twitter where he wrote (caps his) "GREAT VERSION. Enjoy!" He wasn't wrong.

[@davidbuchanan3374]

They just dropped a new song 3 days ago. Seal's hit, A Kiss From a Rose. Recorded live, they absolutely smashed it. There's one for ya both to react to.. 👍👍👍ps... They won their first grammy with their DAFT PUNK medley. Bloody amazing...

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for those recommendations

[@ellenhulslander2897]

Oh boy! Now you've done it! Prepare for an influx of subscribers. These guys do everything from Daft Punk, to The Prayer, to Jolene, to originals, and do it all extremely well. Their newest, Kiss From a Rose, on Vevo, is amazing. Oh, and they simply OWN Christmas.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We are defintely excited to experience more from this group 😊

[@heartnsoul9093]

Yep! They've done it now! They've opened a whole can of Pentaholics, racing to watch and comment!

[@sarahwhite8135]

I couldn't click on this fast enough! So glad you have finally got to Pentatonix! Please do Hallelujah next! (For reference, I made a note that you currently have 7.28k subscribers....let's see how fast your channel grows now!) #Pentatonix

[@highlyreactivereactions]

That one has been recorded and will be pur next Pentatonix video 😊 thank you so much for your support

[@larrygranbois4164]

Pentatonix just dropped a new music video that should show how far they have come since their early days. Great reaction guys!!

[@larrygranbois4164]

lol forgot to tell you the name of the new video, it's Kiss From A Rose which is a cover of Seals great song.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Sounds amazing. We will have to check it out 👍

[@margretrosenberg420]

​@@highlyreactivereactionsWhile you're at it you might want to check out their other new music video, "Please Santa Please." It's a Pentatonix original, written by Kirstin and Kevin. By the way, Pentatonix posts all their music to KZbin, and when searching for a song by them just type the name of the song into the KZbin search box and add "PTX." KZbin knows that "PTX" is short for "Pentatonix."

[@jmarcuc]

That video is a live taping in the Vevo studio, btw.

[@philunderwood8553]

The great thing about Pentatonix is that you get to experience that "first time listen" multiple times because so many of their songs will just blow you away.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats what we love about reacting 😊

[@shirleyfisher8313]

And they always pay homage to the original artists in their covers!

[@PTXWeeklyNewsPWN]

Great reaction! Hope you continue down the PTX rabbit hole....and now is the time because Christmas is considered Pentatonix Season 😂.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Can't wait for the Xmas stuff 😂

[@user-xq2kf2sq5u]

We Pentaholics are always looking for first reactions. Keep them coming and we will watch!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We appreciate your support 😊

[@leeleduc9963]

Check out the live version at the 2022 Holywood Bowl concert. Incredible.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Appreciate the recommendation

[@jdb4519]

I gave a hearty chuckle when you said you were going to see if Pentatonix was any good. This 3 time Grammy Award winning acapella group can pretty much do it all. There are five members in the group that formed in 2011 and won the TV reality show the Sing-Off. The dark haired gentleman who took lead first is Mitch Grassi. He is considered a counter tenor and has a higher natural voice pitch that has been compared to angels singing. We often refer to being "Mitch Slapped" when he sings something that is ethereal or extremely high pitched. The female is Kirsten "Kirstie" (pronounced like thirsty) Moldanado. She is the soprano of the group. You often cannot tell if Mitch or Kirstie is actually singing a part. She and Mitch are not related. The tall blonde guy is Scott Hoying. He is a baritone but also will take the bass parts when the bass takes lead. His octave range is insane. Mitch, Kirstie and Scott grew up going to school together in Arlington, Texas. The guy with the beard is Avi Kaplan and sings bass. He later left the group amicably and has a solo career. Check him out in Ring of Fire with Home Free. He is featured in that song. The beatboxer is Kevin Olusola. He is a classically trained cellist. He can also sing and at times plays cello in some of their songs. He is so talented that he can beatbox and play cello at the same time. After Avi left in 2017, Matt Sallee took the roll as bass. He is also an exceptional singer. There isn't really anything that these 5 can't do except for possibly dance real well. I subscribed and I'm looking forward to more reviews of Pentatonix from you. Suggestions for reviews are Hallelujah, Daft Punk (Grammy), Jolene with Dolly Parton (Grammy), Evolution of Michael Jackson, Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy (Grammy), The Prayer, Amazing Grace, Sound of Silence and Imagine. Also check out Kiss From a Rose. They just dropped that new cover this week. Actually, Pentatonix doesn't do covers, they do upgrades. And of course they have great original songs as well. Also, they have been nominated for another Grammy this year for their current album. Enjoy going down the rabbit hole. I'll be right there with you.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Haha thats the good thing about doing blind reactions. We get the recommendations saying they are good but we have no idea about the artist what so ever til we start watching it

[@annkanyr3024]

Bearded guy is Avi Kaplan -bass-( no longer with the group). Beat boxer is Kevin Olusola. Blonde guy is Scott Hoying -baritone/bass. Kirsti Maldonado-soprano/mezzo soprano. Mitch Grassi-tenor/counter tenor. Later songs will have Matt Sallee who replaced Avi.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for that. Will really help us with future reactions 😊

[@Doglyvr]

Pentatonix is the GOAT of acapella groups.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

They are amazing

[@HereBeDragonsYT]

This group is amazing. Been a fan for over a decade. Ive seen them live three times. Others will tell you about the individuals, but i wanted to say something about the group as a whole. There's no ego among them. Who is singing what is based on what the song needs. There are plenty of examples of every member singing lead, except perhaps the LEGENDARY Kevin, who provides the beat. But he does get a few moments here and there to sing, and he's also amazing. But again... what does tge song need. Their arranging is what truly sets them apart imo.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

They are amazing

[@perrystevenson6364]

Pentatonix History…..composed by Alan Freeman 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 KZbin, 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 KZbin 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 KZbin), in which they received a substantial cash prize AND a record contract with Epic Records. They pooled their prize winnings together and all moved to Los Angeles, and all got apartments right next door to each other in the same building. But just a week later, Epic dropped them because the marketing people didn′t think an acappella group could sell records. Instead of giving up, they were determined and began recording their own songs on KZbin, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live. Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers. But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label. They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys. Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry. Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group. If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently. After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre. Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/ Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work. Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. They also got a star on Hollywood walk of fame. 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 acapella group with a star! 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.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for sharing the information

[@heartnsoul9093]

Hey. I read every word of your comment. I kept saying, yep, yep, yep lol. Ya got yer facts straight! Good write up and PR!!

[@celiachristman104]

I just subbed. You are right. Pentatonix (aka PTX) lead the charge re: other a cappella groups you mentioned. They have 3 Grammys, have been nominated for 2 more, have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and have released 18 albums. I look forward to more of you PTX reactions. So glad you appreciated their talent in this video. They are also the Kings and Queens of holiday music. 8 of those 18 albums are all holiday music.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you so much for your subscription and sharing that information Celia. It's appreciated

[@camillep3631]

@@highlyreactivereactions and their album of originals debuted at #1 on the Billboard 100 in 2015, they original stuff is just as mind-blowing

[@dudieb]

There is a big story here of how they got started and how they overcame some set backs to become the first a cappella group to win a Grammy.. They are Scott Hoying, Kirsten Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Kevin “K.O” Olusola, Avi Kaplan and Avi replacement Matt Sallee. After winning the Sing Off and a record deal they moved to LA and then were dropped by the record label. Instead of letting that stop them they took to Utube and arranged and recorded there music with the help of Ben Bram(sometimes called their 6th member). Some of their stuff was recorded in the appartment of one or the other of their members. They do Christmas music, Covers(although the Pentaholics have call them upgrades), and their original music which they all have contributed to. They also have solo stuff. Avi Kaplan is the only member to leave the group and he has done some incredible stuff solo. Pentatonix has also done some medley’s and Evolutin Of videos. Evolution of Music, Evolution Of Michael Jackson, Evolution of 90’s Dance Music, etc. There are several videos out there that explain all of this a lot better than me. Their following is huge and will be more than happy to school you on PTX.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats an amazing story. Glad they didn't let it bring them down. Mad respect

[@kaejuka6249]

@@highlyreactivereactions their first song to win a grammy was their Daft Punk Medley, which had a total budget of about 400$ and was recorded in Avi's closet (for the audio) and Kitchen (for the video). this was right after their record label dropped them

[@My2ndnephew]

I don't blame you for being blown away. Now check out their most recent video, Kiss From A Rose, if you want more hyper feelings. Partially obscure the video, notorious for being blocked, but Pentaholics will come to watch. Welcome to the crazy world of Pentaholic fans and Pentatonix music!

[@Gwennedd]

Luckily, none of the reactors so far have had any problems with Kiss From A Rose. VEVO seems to be okay with sharing ...for now.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We appreciate that. We have just done some recordings that we can fight the claim and get unblocked. Just might take abit longer for some songs to get released 😊

[@markwong7922]

Glad you got to see them first time. My favorite group. Love how versatile they are can and have sung every genre. Each person brings unique skill set and yet they sound so perfect like one. So so many good ones to pick from including all their Christmas stuff they r famous for. Others I’m sure will lead you. enjoy!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We can't wait for the journey Mark 😊

[@newone66]

I love Home Free, the 2nd best acapella group in the world. Pentatonix are the gold standard when it comes to acapella groups.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Loved what we have seen so far 😊

[@alan-freeman]

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 KZbin, 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 KZbin 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 KZbin), 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 KZbin, hiring Ben Bram as their producer and arranger. These usually consisted of the five of them sitting on a couch and performing cover songs live. Several of the videos went viral, and Sony (the parent company of Epic) decided to give them another chance by placing them on one of their smaller labels, Madison Gate. They released two secular EPs and one Christmas EP on Madison Gate, all of which were strong sellers. But when their cover of a medley of songs by Daft Punk not only went super−viral, but also won them their first Grammy, they were promoted all the way up to RCA Records, Sony′s top label. They began writing and producing their own songs in addition to their covers, began putting out a Christmas album just about annually (which has become their best−selling genre), and have had multi−platinum album sales, sold−out world tours, and have won two additional Grammys. Avi began getting burned out with all of the touring and heavy recording schedule, was suffering from anxiety and personal problems, and learned that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He announced he was departing from the group and taking some time away from the music industry. Matt Sallee (from Baltimore) joined them in September 2017. He did only become official when they renewed their RCA contract in February 2018, but he recorded with them in September as a featured artist and went on their Christmas tour as a featured artist, as well. When he attended the audition for the group, he had already mastered the Bass part for most if not all their past catalogue. He was successful and has proved that he fits in well with the group. If you think there have been other changes to the line up - look again. This is the ONLY change. Kirstie and Mitch are like chameleons and change looks frequently. It is an often debated subject among the Pentaholics as to just how soon we introduce the "Beginners Guide" as we don't want to overdo the introduction. This is a compilation of snips of a whole load of songs which PTX have released. It highlights each member with some of their solos and then a brief history in video. It is quite long - 14+ minutes and is a little dated now (Feb 2020) but is a good watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/onXbepmtm6igh6c&pp=ygUdYmVnaW5uZXJzIGd1aWRlIHRvIHBlbnRhdG9uaXg%3D. After a year away from music, Avi has now returned as a phenomenal solo artist in the Folk/Americana/Roots genre. Ben Bram has been in charge of their production, including arranging and directing from the beginning. He is often referred to as the sixth member. Scott and Kevin are major players in the arrangements, but every member contributes. A good watch is "The Recording of Evergreen" where a camera was invited into the studio for the second week of recording/ Also, all members are songwriters for both Pentatonix and their own solo work. Ed Boyer who mixes everything of theirs (even the HWB Livestream) is the one who pulled Ben Bram into the sing off in the first place. They have Grammy wins for Daft Punk Medley, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jolene featuring Dolly Parton. They were nominated for a 4th Grammy for their album Evergreen, but didn't win. Another nomination for Holidays Around the World album in the 2024 list! Kirstie became a new mum which caused a pause in touring after their Evergreen Christmas tour 2021. Mid March 2023 Kirstie has announced that she is engaged to Ben Hausdorff, their videographer. No dates YET! They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star! They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Wow thank you for that strong commitment on the sharing of your knowledge. We do appreciate it along with the recommendations aswell 😊

[@Miobambino]

Alan!! Long time, no see. Hope you’re well, mate! 🫶🇬🇧

[@elizabethfelet4743]

you have now reached the pinnacle of a capella groups. Although Home Free and Voiceplay have been around a lot longer, it wasn't until Pentatonix (styled often as PTX) came on the scene that a capella came to be recognized as something more than barbershop quartet singing. PTX paved the way through their extreme hard work and dedication to their craft. The Grammy association were so enamoured of their music that they actually changed one of the categories from Best Arrangement - Instrumental to Best Arrangement - Instrumental or A Capella specifically so that PTX could be nominated (and subsequently win). They can and do tackle every genre out there - they won a Grammy for their work with the queen herself - Dolly Parton for Jolene, their first for their medley of Daft Punk songs, and a third for their Christmas hit God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

[@Gwennedd]

Umm...the third Grammy was for Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy...a song without words sung by a group with no instruments. (edited for spelling error. Now corrected)

[@GingerJohnson-uu9lw]

They did not win the 3rd for God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The won it for Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy from the ballet The Nutcracker.

[@elizabethfelet4743]

@@Gwennedd you are correct - my mistake.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats amazing information and we are defintely looking forward to getting to know them alot more 😊

[@janhankins911]

To see an entirely different "side" of Pentatonix, try their cover of "The Prayer". It's just so absolutely beautiful!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for that recommendation

[@kerryjohnson4328]

Great reaction. You should check out their medley of Daft Punk next. It will blow you away. The music was recorded in a bedroom closet and the video was shot in a kitchen. That video won them their first Grammy.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

😂 that is amazing

[@akinpaws]

The Grammy wasn't for the video; it was for best arrangement. Although the song likely wouldn't have been nominated if the video hadn't gone viral.

[@Louvonia1]

Pentatonix has a massive fan base on KZbin. Best thing you can do is start a Pentatonix playlist and just start cranking out reactions. There are over 300 videos, including solo videos, fun behind the scenes and many more.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Yeah we do like to mix and match and learn abit more about them with each video so we won't tend to over bulk record

[@sandyleewhite]

There is something so special about their ability, to tell the songs story, allowing us to listen with a new perspective, and hear & feel emotions, we may not have heard from the original artist 💖💖💖 Not only their voices, but their delivery is also their gift! *IMO, no other group, can build up a song, like Pentatonix* They are masters at pulling on our emotions!!! 💗💗💗 *They are individually so talented, however, when put together, it is truly magical* 💗💗💗 Thank you for such a thoughtful reaction 💗💗💗

[@rlhcat7662]

There is a special connection between Home Free and PTX (Pentatonix). In 2011, PTX performed for the first time as a group of 5 on a TV show called The Sing Off. That was the third season of the show and there were 16 groups. Although they had only been a group for a few days and were competing against groups that had been performing together for years and even decades, they won! The show skipped a year in 2012, but in 2013, Home Free was on the show, and they also won. Many fans of PTX are also fans of Home Free and Voice Play, and it's great that the three groups have really different sounds and styles of music, so they don't really compete. I'm sure someone told the story about how the Trio, Scott, Mitch & Kirstie had met as kids of 8 or 9, sang together in middle school and high school, and found Avi and Kevin to join them for the show. There was something in the stars when this happened, and no one can explain how the Trio plus a pre-med cellist and an opera trained basso profundo just happened to cross paths, but here we are, blessed by it all. Their musical training, singing and composition skills are very evident in all their music and keeps us fans wanting more. They have many great originals, including Love Again, Can't Sleep Love, Water and Sing, and if you go into a shopping mall at Christmas, there's a good chance you'll hear one of their Christmas songs in the background. It's frustrating that the radio stations don't play their music, but at least now you can make and carry around your own playlists! For Christmas, I recommend O Come All Ye Faithful, 12 days of Christmas, The First Noel, Silent Night and You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. You won't believe they can do upgrades on these songs, but they do. One of their Christmas songs, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, was a Grammy winner! By the way, today in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, they are on a float performing their original "Please Santa Please".

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Appreciate you for sharing the information 😊

[@andreadunhill8219]

One I would highly recommend is listening to Pentatonix cover of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. They won a Grammy for it, and it just shows how phenomenally talented they are.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you so much for your comment and Happy New Year to you. We hope this year will be amazing for you ☺️

[@brandonjames371]

Welcome to PTX world. I have been a pentaholic for a number of years now. Careful...it's easy to get hooked!! I would recommend 90's dance medley to get a sense of each of their individual voice chops. Their newest drop "Kiss From A Rose" LIVE no less, blew my hair off.They work very hard to make sure that each person in the group has a chance to shine as well as blend seamlessly. Not only did they pave the way for other accapella groups, they have mentored many of them including Home Free and the all girl group Citizen Queen. Not to "gush" but Pentatonix are as generous and kind with other artists and their fans as they are talented.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Looking forward to the journey

[@tommieev5589]

Great reaction! It's funny because Home Free and VoicePlay have existed as groups for considerably longer than Pentatonix (PTX), but it was PTXs success that opened the doors for the other groups to break more into the mainstream. Other people have told you the names of the players in this video, but I didn't see anyone mention their ages. Since it was posted in 2017, Scott, Kirstie and Mitch were either 24 or 25, Avi was 27, and Kevin was 28. Also, those of us who love Pentatonix are quite used to you having to place a filter over the video. I hoe it doesn't deter you from more reactions.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Wow thank you for sharing that. Alot younger than we have seen with compared to Voiceplay and Home Free

[@nightthornkvala94132]

It's funny that when I talk to people about the 3 top groups (or as I call it, recruiting new Home Fries) no one has ever heard of Home Free or VoicePlay but they've all heard of Pentatonix.

[@Burrowingowl315]

Great video reaction video ! They have a ton of videos on KZbin and Vevo. Two of my favourites are 90's dance melody and their Daft Punk video + anything live.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Sounds amazing. We will have to check it out

[@margretrosenberg420]

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. In the early days of Pentatonix, after they won a recording contract on _"The Sing-off,"_ Epic Records reneged on the contract just a week after the five of them moved to California to begin their career. So Pentatonix started posting to KZbin; it was the only way they COULD publish their music. A lot of those early KZbin videos show the five of them sitting on a couch, with the trio 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 Kirstin could climb on the couch from behind - Scott, being a foot taller than Kirstin, didn't need it. When Mitch lies down on the couch, singing "Too late, My time has come," they're referring to Freddie Mercury's death (the foreshadowing was, of course, unintentional on Freddie's part; there's no way he could have known, thank goodness). 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. 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."

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats amazing. Thank you for the information

[@johnrodrigues5974]

Lead singer is Mitch Grassi Girl is Kirsten Maldanado Blond is Scott Hoying Beatboxer is Kevin Olusola on left Bass is Avi Kaplan with beard

[@vickilagesten8919]

Kiss from a Rose....PTX..... dropped just last week. It will knock your socks off!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We will check it out

[@CatsInTheHouse48]

Welcome to the rabbit hole! I’m looking forward to your future PTX reactions!! Pentaholics will follow if you continue with PTX reactions!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We are enjoying their work and look forward to sharing this experience for you 😊

[@vidsorama2]

Thank you for the great reaction to this awesome Pentatonix video. Happy that you both liked it. They are amazing. I look forward to more of your Pentatonix reactions. Welcome to our world!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you so much for your kind words 😊

[@davidbangtson3109]

You guys obviously loved how every single detail of this song was handled so carefully and yet provided for a smooth flow through the song. I always think of this performance as the first of many PTX "classic" performances. Good job, guys!

[@lindaosmon5224]

The guy in the middle is Mitch Grassi he is the Counter Tenor. The gal next to him is Kirsten Maldonado she is a Mezzo Soprano, and the blonde guy sitting in the same top row is Scott Hoying he is the Baritone. These 3 all grew up together in Arlington Texas they have known each other since they were kids. The wonderful black man on the bottom is Kevin Olusola he is the Beat Boxer extraordinaire, he also is a classically trained Cellist and is renowned for his Cello Boxing. He has his Pre-Med degree from Yale and speaks fluent Mandarin. Avi Kaplan next to him is the Bass, he actually left the group in 2017 and that same year he was replaced by Matt Sallee who is an awesome Bass also. He is in newer videos. They won the American show the Sing Off in 2010 or 2011. They have also won 3 Grammy's, and have a Star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Amazing stuff. Thank you for sharing

[@user-dg5fc1hf4x]

They are phenomenal! Listen to Hallelujah, their first Grammy Daft Punk, The Sound of Silence, Mary Did You Know, and their latest A Kiss from a Rose. But they have done some individual stuff as well. Please watch Kevin, the beat boxer, because his talent is unbelievable! He beatboxes with his cello, which is how they found him on you tube! Watch the live Christmas Extravaganza 2022 for Kevin’s Show/Kevin’s Fifth. You will be blown away! Any of their Christmas music is awesome! Gail

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Hallelujah has been recorded and is next on the list 😊

[@barbarakennedy2667]

That megaphone was only a prop. Mitch does the guitar part without it in live shows.

[@N_F414]

The prop is also there to convey the added distortion that was included in the studio track to make it sound even more like an e-guitar

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Yeah just the added visual effect but it gives it that extra power

[@sdmcdaniel2255]

The names are (from top left to bottom right) Kirstie Maldanado (mezzo suprano), Mitch Grossi (counter tennor), Scott Hoying (baritone), Kevin Olousola (beatboxer/tennor) Avi Kaplan (bass - although he has since left the group and has been replaced by Matt). All of the groups you have mentioned: Pentatonix, Home Free and Voice Play were on an a cappella compitition show called the Sing Off. Pentatonix won Season 3, Home Free won Season 4, the original Voice Play was on that same year (they have since replaced some of the singers until it is what you see now). Pentatonix is the group that moved A Capella into mainstream music. Before then A Capella was a niche society, but Pentatonix changed A Capella forever, by bringing it into the forefront, and getting it on the radio. Home Free followed in their footsteps by winning Season 4 and bringing A Capella to Country Music. Some things to know about Pentatonix. They do not use Autotune, unless the SONG they are performing calls for it. What I mean is, the only time they will use it, is if they a performing a song where the original singer used it and they are doing so to pay tribute to the original composition. They WILL use instruments from time to time... but if they are, you will easily see them in the video, they don't hide it. Some people think they layer their voices, like the Carpenters did decades ago, to give them a fuller sound. The don't. They WILL NOT produce a video of a song if they cannot reproduce it live. Some of their videos are one takes, so yes they are THAT GOOD. They also produce their own songs from time to time. If you think Bohemian Rhapsody is good, you should see some of their other pieces, like Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Sound of Silence, Mad World, Amazing Grace, Mary Did You Know, just to name a few! Oh, and that sound made with the megaphone? The megaphone was just a prop, Mitch can produce that sound without it!!!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

thanks for the info, we love it, much appreciated Thanks for your comment and honesty! Every comment we get is appreciated

[@ItsMeCheryl1231]

One of the best versions of Bohemian Rhapsody ever! Funny story... I was asking my Alexa to play this song. When it came on, I thought it was the actual Queen version. I was getting pissed off! I kept asking for the PENTATONIX version. I finally realized it WAS the Pentatonix version! It sounded so much like the original!

[@heartnsoul9093]

Ok guys. I've been watching and listening to Pentatonix since 2011, when they won season 3 of The Sing Off, an American talent show featuring Acapella groups of 5 members or more. They came to life during that show, three members being only 19 years old at the time. The tall blonde man is Scott, usually sings lead; Mitch is the dark headed man in white turtleneck. If you watch some of their later stuff, like Hallelujah, youll get Mitch slapped! Kirstie is the only woman in the group. I think she is a mezza soprano. Kirstie, Mitch and Scott all grew up best friends. They added Kevin, their tremendous beatboxer, and Avi, their incredible bass singer right before entering that competition in 2011. Unfortunately or fortunately, their record label suddenly dropped them, so they took to social media to post their music. It blew up! And the rest is history! Thanks for listening! I Love, love, love and RESPECT Pentatonix! Enjoyed your react.

[@laurac.6534]

Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying and Kirsty Maldonado have known each other since they were eight and nine years old. The beat boxer , Kevin Olusala (sp?)they got later and the guy with the dark beard, Avi Kaplan, they got later but he is no longer a member. There’s another very talented base named Matt Salee with them now. Mitch Grassi is the one that started out Bohemian Rhapsody. When he hits his highest notes, it is known as a Mitch slap. Lol. I just saw them last week for the third time in concert and let me tell you it is the most amazing thing ever! They are the first a cappella group to receive a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. They have 3 Grammy Awards and just got nominated for a Grammy for the 5th time. Plus Scott has one on his own, I believe, for some collaboration work/song writing.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Appreciate that 😊

[@Masq1980]

These guys are just flippin amazing alien unicorns! It took them 5 years to feel ready to do this song and to do it the justice that it deserves. They are all massive Queen fans. Brian May, lead guitarist from Queen, heard this song when it came out and posted a link to his socials with the one word comment 'Enjoy!' I feel like that is giving Queen's Seal of Approval right there! They also inserted a lot of references and easter eggs into this video in tribute to the original video - which by the way, if you haven't seen - you should probably check it out! Queen couldn't perform this song live because of all the layering they did in post! And not only can Pentatonix do this Live, but the Mitch Grassi Guitar has no need for a Megaphone. Mitch just saw it lying around the set and decided to use it to draw attention to who was doing the guitar solo part - the megaphone was not on, Mitch can do this live! The couch is in reference to their beginning videos where they recorded themselves on various of theirs couches to post onto KZbin after they were dropped by Sony because they didn't think that Acapella would be popular enough to sell records. It is also a tip of the hat to Wayne's World movie scene with the car and head banging to this song which brought in a whole new generation to Queen's music! The part where Mitch is laying on the couch is in reference to Freddie's death and the members walking alongside are his coffin's Pallbearers. A lot of the visuals in here are in tribute to the original video's trippy graphics; like when they all line up and do the 'oh, oh, oh's' one after the other, and also when they line up behind Kirstie standing on the couch only to fan out behind her with their vocal parts. The shot of the sky is in tribute to Dr. Brian May who is Queen's lead guitarist and also an astrophysicist! Each shooting star represents a member of Queen. When they all collapse onto the couch with the shot from above is a homage to the cover art of Queen's record 'Sheer Heart Attack' Also I am pretty sure, Mitch is a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury - one...he can grow the Freddie Stash and looks so much like Freddie that it is amazing the resemblance - two...he can sing just as high if not higher than Freddie could - and three...Freddie died 8 months before Mitch was born!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for that information

[@ellenstrack6274]

They having a making of for this video, it is fun to see the process and issues.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Defintely

[@livingLge]

Pentatonix is fantastic - all of their covers and originals. Their Grammy winning Daft Punk Medley is a must see. On a somewhat related note, aftet winning Norway's Got Talent at age 8, a young lady named Angelina Jordan competed on America's Git Talen Global Champions singing Bohemian Rhapsody (only 93M views). The remaining members of Queen were so impressed that they gave her the rights to her rendition. She is definitely worth checking out!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

They are amazing. Daft Punk is out now ☺️

[@livingLge]

@highlyreactive7708 saw that. Watched it. Echo and all! Haha. Now, you must check out Angelina Jordan's Bohemian Rhapsody, you will be really surprised!

[@livingLge]

#highlyreactivereactions

[@kristipierce4735]

I absolutely second the recommendations for Daft Punk (old Grammy winner) and their recent release Kiss From a Rose (live Vevo). They are the BEST a cappella group on earth and probably on whatever planet they came from to bless us earthlings 🤯🔥😁

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We will have to check it out 💯

[@suemitricka9031]

You ant help but be touched by these awesome people! They bring me to happy tears and filled with love ❤

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats lovely Sue 😊

[@ellenstrack6274]

They started working on this shortly after the won The Sign Off. It took 5 yrs to get it to a standard they would record and that they can recreate live .

[@terij268]

Love your reactions! Now you've the best top three Acapella groups. You really compare them. Home Free does more country and classical songs. Voice Play is more theatrical. Pentatonix are more pop songs. Each group are masters at craft. I really enjoy your reactions!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Defintely looking forward to seeing more of these after the enjoyment we have had with Home Free and Voiceplay

[@debrawalkermeyer9109]

Great reaction. PTX is the best. They were the first of the modern a cappella groups and formed in 2011. They perform this live if you have any questions this is all them. ( check out Hollywood Bowl 2022 live) Many want to check out a live after seeing their official videos for Daft Punk, Bohemian Rhapsody or Hallelujah. Everything they do is amazing. You might like their just released VEVO live Kiss From A Rose. Also Imagine, Mad World, Problem, Can’t Hold Us and The Prayer.

[@debrawalkermeyer9109]

Subscribed for more PTX.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for the information and recommendations 😊 look forward to Mad World

[@RYALMATRENOVATIONS]

pentatonix hallelujah. First ptx song I heard still listen to it often...mind blowing

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Hallelujah will be out later today 😊

[@Badger77722]

You mentioned Pentatonix sort of "blazing the trail" for modern a cappella groups Home Free and VoicePlay. While that's true in a commercial sense, both Home Free and VoicePlay as performing groups are considerably older than Pentatonix. PTX was formed in 2011 to compete on the NBC TV show The Sing-off, an a cappella competition show. Home Free formed in 2002, and VoicePlay (as 4:2:Five) formed in 1997, right out of high school. As far as "looking quite young", they really were when this video was filmed. When they competed on The Sing-off, Scott (baritone, tall blonde) and Kirstin (mezzo soprano, female) were in their first year of college; Mitch (tenor/countertenor, middle of the couch) actually missed his high school graduation for the auditions to the show; Avi (basso profundo, lower right) was finishing his college degree in opera and choral studies (and had been offered a job singing bass by a Los Angeles opera company), and Kevin (beatboxer, cellist, tenor, lower left) had just graduated from Yale in a pre-med schedule. This video was released in spring 2017, so about 5-6 years after they originally formed.

[@LindaVernon]

Thanks for mentioning that Home Free and VoicePlay were formed and performed professionally before Pentatonix. When PTX came along they really did pave the way for the current wide success of a cappella music. 🙂

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Didn't realise they have been going for so long. Really impressive tbh. That's the first I've heard that

[@marilyncernik4128]

Welcome to PTX you lucky virgins. They are fantastic so bloody talented. I’ve loved them for many years❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@highlyreactivereactions]

😂 Thank you so much

[@SherylandFam]

Nobody is related but Scott (the blonde man) and Mitch (the one in the top middle) have been friends since they were 10 years old and the girl Kristin joined their friendship in high school. They found Kevin (the beat boxer) on youtube and asked him to join. And they found Avi (the bearded man singing bass) through a friend. Another fun fact is Scott and Mitch are both gay men and they did date briefly in high school but they are best friends and rather keep it that way.

[@kellyjene77]

PTX is an amazing group and yes they are the modern a capella and it opened the door to all these amazingly talented groups.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

They are defintely talented

[@thechomiji]

The three perched on the back of the sofa (Kirstin, Mitch, and Scott) have been singing together since they were about 14 or 15, and possibly earlier: they grew up in the same Texas town and participated together in community and youth theater groups as young children, then went to the same high school. The other two, Kevin and Avi, were recruited to allow them to qualify for the television a capella competition show The Sing-Off in 2011.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats amazing. Thank you for sharing

[@sinaprue2911]

Pentatonix, Home Free and Voiceplay were all contestants of a talent show called the "Sing-Off"..need to check it out..

[@loriculver7282]

I have been watching you guys for bit. I think Ren reactions drew me in. Now you are looking down into the PTX rabbit hole and I am so along for the ride. Just subbed for more. PTX is the GOAT of acapella! They definitely paved the way for the others you mentioned. After they won a record contract and $200,000 for competing and winning a tv show called The Sing Off they dropped everything and moved to California. For instance, the beat boxer, Kevin, had just graduated pre med from Yale and was on track to go to med school to become a cardiologist just like his father. Can you imagine the conversation he had telling his parents he was heading off to CA to make it big as a beat boxer in an acapella group instead!? They are all musical geniuses in their own right. Anyway, a couple of weeks after the California move, the record label dropped them because they didn't think there was any market for acapella. Instead of giving up, they started doing music sitting on a couch in one of their apartments (couches are fearured often in their videos, as is in this one) and posting them to you tube Shortly after they went viral on you tube with their cover of Someone That I Use to Know. Then, came their first Grammy with their cover medley of Daft Punk. Now 3 grammy wins, five nominations (they just got nominated for the fifth time, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and still selling out concerts internatonally and domestically. Scott, the tall blond, was very instrumental in Home Frees trajectory. The 3rd season of the Sing Off which is the on PTX won was planned to be the last season. A year or so later, Scott played an integral role in convincing the network to do one more season. Home Free won that last and final season. I finally saw them in concert this last summer and they are mind melting. They make a point of being able to perform live any song they record in studio. Often the live versions are even better. With a catalog of over 300 songs, covers and originals, you have a fantastic musical journey ahead of you. Thanks for reacting to PTX!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We appreciate that you took the leap of faith and hit the subscription button. Mad respect to you and thank you for sharing that information 😊

[@perrystevenson6364]

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. Also when Brian Mays heard it... he posted it on his web site with the word "ENJOY”. -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 KZbin, 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.

[@sallypursell1284]

They had to invent a new Grammy category for Pentatonix!

[@jenchem42]

LOLOL! I don't know if I'm the only one who stays until the end but the end rolling "credits" screen was hilarious! Thanks for the chuckle - and the awesome reaction!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

😂 yeah we normally blow all professional composure by the end

[@RubyGB]

The night sky is in homage to Queen guitarist, Dr Brian May, astrophysicist. There are 4 shooting stars in the sky, one for each member of Queen. Respect is key.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

That is some serious respect

[@thisismetoday7423]

PTX got me hooked on acapella. Then I discovered Home Free, loved them. Then I found VoicePlay and they are actually my favorite now. But all 3 groups are talented and are just all different. I would suggest PTX Hallelujah next, it has almost a billion views and shows off all of them pretty well. Although Avi, the bass here is no longer with them. He has his own channel now and is also worth checking out. So glad you are enjoying your acapella journey and I’m looking forward to the next VoicePlay reaction! 😅 ❤

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We are loving them so far. Hallelujah has been recorded and will be out soon 😊 thank you for your support to the channel

[@thisismetoday7423]

@@highlyreactivereactions You are amazing! Love from Kentucky, USA ❤️

[@drewideas]

Stumbled onto these guys a few years ago. You are in for a treat. With well over 200 songs in their repertoire. Just for a reference The 5 here sitting on the couch @ 3:50 are Back row LtoR Kirstin, Mitch , Scott, FR is Kevin and Avi who has since left and been replaced by Matt. Run to You ….is epic.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for sharing that information. Mad appreciated 👏

[@duke2651]

What I did not see in the first 20 or so comments is important...at least to me. These five people do not only possess musical genius as a group and as individuals, they are all very unpretentious, very nice people with great senses of humor. Their love for the music, and for each other, comes through with every performance. I am 69 years old and I have been listening to music and attending concerts all my life (now a HAIRLESS HIPPIE!) My last was a HOME FREE gig in Jacksonville earlier this year...they were fabulous live, and they could be the one other group that could be described as I have described Pentatonix. I would have to disagree with anyone who would suggest that any other group also holds such humanity within their musical craft. My hat is off to both groups, and if I ever run into one or more of them...they will get a hug from an old man. Be well guys, enjoy the ride!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We appreciate you for your comment and sharing the info

[@susanforson5574]

Thank you for a great reaction. Subscribed hoping for more Pentatonix reactions. Their cover of Gold by Kiara is a vocal masterpiece as is their new release cover of A Kiss from a Rose by Seal. Though tbh you can be anything and be wowed! They are just incredible.

[@susanforson5574]

* oops….you can watch/listen to anything and be wowed!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thanks for the kind words. We will be Deffo be doing more PTX

[@Tammy-km5uf]

They won season 3 of the Sing-off. The show was actually cancelled after their season, but with their success, it was brought back for another season. They won a Sony record contract, and all moved to LA. A week after they moved Sony dropped them. They did not know how to market acapella. So the group started their KZbin channel, filmed videos on an iPad and posted them. Their success is due mostly to their determination. They are a three time Grammy winners and have been nominated 5 times. This year being the 5th. You should check out their Daft Punk Medley, it was their first Grammy winner.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for sharing that information Tammy. That sounds amazing!

[@jeancaldwell5391]

During the second time they panned to the sky, the four shooting stars were also a tribute to Queen as well as a nod to Dr Brian May, astrophysicist. They had wanted to do this song for years but put it off until they felt they could do the song justice. I’d say they succeeded in meeting their goal! They did include a snippet of Bohemian Rhapsody in their Evolution of Music much earlier in their career.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Appreciate you for sharing that information 😊

[@johnrodrigues5974]

Scott Mitch and Kirsten sung together in High School. Please watch “ Beginners Guide to Pentatonix” you will learn all about the group.

[@kaejuka6249]

Pentatonix pride themselves on being able to perfectly replicate their studio sound live. The only change done to their voices are things like echo or in this case the distortion for the electric guitar sound. but they sound pretty much exactly the same while live.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Mad respect to them for that ☺️

[@janetburrows137]

Pentatonix is the Very best Acapella group around. ❤❤

[@highlyreactivereactions]

They are amazing

[@bonniewilsoncarlson]

So excited to see people discover these marvelous artists. Loved your reactions.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you so much Bonnie 😊

[@kylesilva8609]

LMAO, the guy on the right looked like he lost a part of his soul every time the other guy paused it… amazing reaction, gonna check out your channel more

[@highlyreactivereactions]

😂 just like the audience. Never know when they are going to come 😂

[@danielcarter837]

The people on the top row Kirstie, Mitch and Scott (left to right) went to high school together in Arlington Texas and did musical theater together at times before that. They have known each other for decades at this point and are pretty much siblings. Some of the things they do defy explanation. I wonder sometimes if they share a soul.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for the info 😊

[@hapymom13]

You've opened the Rabbithole...now let us Pentaholics jump in with you! Everyone has done well informing you of the ins and outs so I'm not going to bother. I will say its even better live as I got to a concert just a few months back. They have a huge catalogue of music and the bulk is christmas so perfect timing. LeeJay tho check out their version of cant hold us by macklemore for some rap

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We are looking forward to this journey with you 😀

[@ellenstrack6274]

They just released Seal's Kiss of the Rose. Unbelievable. The beatboxer is also a concert level chelist and will play chello in some video while still beatboxibg. Kevin calls it chelloboxing.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Haha love that

[@ConnorSinclairCavin]

We, the pentaholics, welcome you with open arms to the fandom. You will find that pretty much everything they do is awesome, may you have fun.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for your support 😊

[@Korbin_Arts]

Scott (the blonde one) actually formed an all female acapella group called Citizen Queen! They now do fully produced music similar to Little Mix or 5th Harmony, but their early acapella covers are incredible

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thats incredible 😊

[@beverlypearson5332]

I love watching people’s first reaction to Pentatonix, and yours didn’t disappoint. Looking forward to your next review. (And I really appreciate you keeping it “clean!”)

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you so much Beverly and we do try keep it clean enough but odd swears will most likely slip out 😂

[@loritoigo8020]

5 shooting stars represent Queen and a nod to Dr. Brian May who's an astrophysicist. When this was released, Brian went to social media and said simply "Enjoy".

[@highlyreactivereactions]

And we did

[@df5199]

Their new live performance video of Kiss From A Rose is terrific.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We will have to check it out

[@taniareads8751]

Love PTX - as a suggestion for a more recent song, and also to showcase their live performance, look for 90's Dance Medley live at the Hollywood Bowl (from I think 2022?) There is only one change to the group, Avi, the bass singer in this (man with the beard) left and Matt is now the bass.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Appreciate the recommendations

[@jenevon1]

You have so much you need to check out. Daft Punk medley, Halleluja, any of the evolutions, spring pop (live), it just keeps going.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Thank you for those recommendations. We are excited for this journey

[@ConnorSinclairCavin]

So the megaphone used in this was just a prop and had no batteries, he did that sound manually. And they took this version as the last possible take in the time they had, lit by gear a local construction crew helped them with because they had taken so long due to weather, tech issues, and attempts, that it was too dark for their standard recording gear. So cool

[@debbievoss6389]

Brian may posted this on his Facebook and simply said “enjoy”

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Oh we did Enjoy! Thankyou!

[@elainedavis9053]

Awesome Reaction -- More PTX Please!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

More defintely coming to the channel 😊

[@staceyk5682]

Yay! I’ve knew once you watched them you would be hooked! I’ve been a fan of theirs since the beginning when they were on the Sing Off. they also sound excellent in concert! Check out Alleluia next, it will blow you away!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@katiemenne8258]

Citizen queen is an all female group. I recommend them! They’re great!!!! Bad guy, slow burn, never enough, free your mind, señorita, good as hell and evolution of girl groups are my favorites from the all girl acapella group

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We still need to check them out ☺️

[@rodb9275]

You can see them do something VERY recently. They just put out their cover to "Kiss of a Rose". MIND BLOWING. It's my absolute favorite Pentatonix performance now. Avi (the guy with the beard) is gone now, and Matt, took his place. Matt has an amazing part in the song. Kevin (the beat boxer) plays cello also in the song. You must check it out!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We will have to check it out 😊

[@jerolddavis]

It is so fascinating now to hear earlier PTX work and realize the growth they've undergone. If you want to really get a shock of their progress, they recently released a cover of "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal that may well be the best thing they've ever done, which is really saying something given their body of work

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Kiss from a rose is now on our channel and is defintely incredible ☺️

[@victoriaburch1367]

You really need to start PTX from the beginning. The Pentatonix story goes back to 2011, when high school friends Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado and Mitch Grassi from Arlington, Texas, decided to audition for the NBC show “The Sing-Off.” In learning that groups needed at least five members, the trio recruited bass vocalist Avi Kaplan and singer/beat boxer Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, to complete the lineup. PTX won season Three of The Sing-Off. (Lets Get It On is a must listen on the Sing-Off). And the rest, as they say, is history. Pentatonix is the best in the world.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

We tend to go where the main recommendations lead us 😂

[@nightthornkvala94132]

Pentatonix, Home Free, and VoicePlay are considered the top three a cappella groups in the world. Their styles are different and I don't think their in any competition with each other. I know they're friends and have worked together in one form or another. Avi Kaplan (beard) sang with Home Free in Ring of Fire and make an appearance in their Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget. Avi's gone solo since this video and my favorite of his is Change is on the Rise.

[@highlyreactivereactions]

From what we have heard Pentatonix is defintely different from what we have heard aswell and we are loving it

[@lauriep2018]

PTX ARE THE GOATS!

[@highlyreactivereactions]

Amazing