First Time Reaction to "Hallelujah" by Pentatonix!

[@MarkAdolph-xz6or]

Good way to get your channel started - here come the Pentaholics, who like nothing better than seeing someone react to PTX for the first time

[@allendesalme197]

Be sure to watch the original video of this as well - close to a billion views - they changed it up a lot for this performance

[@CaptainMarvelsSon]

Ahhhh a newcomer! Best wishes to growing your channel.

[@brettsmith6782]

Pentatonix has been around for at least 14 years after winning season 3 of the singing competition show the Sing Off. There has been 1 member change. The original bass in the band left because of the nonstop work the band was running on, he now has his own career. As a Pentatonix fan since the very first time they came on the scene I would recommend watching the video Making Evergreen. They had won 3 Grammys by this time and their first Grammy nomination for a full album was for Evergreen. It will introduce you to the 6th member of the band and show you how they do what they do

[@scanrdva911]

Yay! A newbie to PTX! There are a lot of us Pentaholics who will go down this rabbit hole with you. Consider listening with headphones or earbuds to get the most out of their music. Looking forward to more reactions.

[@alfredh3071]

A cappella is the term you’re looking for, and these guys are the class of the genre. Voctave is another brilliant example. As suggested in previous comments, get the headphones but don’t skimp on quality

[@simsweechuah9753]

This version of Hallelujah has Matt Sallee as base. The original version of this song has Avi Kaplan as the base and is beautifu. Watch that too. PTX was formed in 2011 and Avi Kaplan was he base until 2017 . There are no other changes to the lineup. However Mitch , the high tenor and Kirstie are constantly changing their looks. Recommend Daft Punk, 90s Dancing Medley, Come All He Faithful, Carol of the Bells and O Holy Night.

[@nickerpsg1]

Welcome to the rabbit hole of Pentatonix...BUT, you must use HEADPHONES when listening to their music. They are popular around the world !!

[@daleenengelbrecht4861]

They are absolutely the BEST!! One fact to remember; since they won the sing-off 2011 only one member left the group amicably-the bass- and Matt Sallee joined the group. We love to watch the video with you, no problem with their live versions. When you do official video you can put a filter over. Please use ear phones when listening to them. From a absolute Pentaholic. Greetings from South Africa

[@joxer8]

Nice reaction! You are going down a rabbit hole that will not disappoint. Christmas time is a great time to dive into PTX. Also, just a tip, consider using head phones/ear buds, totally a different experience.

[@melanie00005]

I just subscribed. I love them. I've seen them twice in concert and it's the best concert I've ever been to. They are so good and so fun. One if my favorites is "The Prayer." And I love all their originals. Watch Pentatonix popspring performance 2016. You get original and The Evolution of Michael Jackson.

[@bethphillips9693]

They have an extensive catalog of music you will enjoy

[@russellfisher2853]

I really hope you listen tp their original version of this song,😊

[@heatherhuard]

I may be in a minority but I much prefer the original version from them.

[@sonjarussell7332]

@@heatherhuardI don’t think you’re in the minority, I agree, I can’t listen to this screeching version either! Love Matt, just not what he does to this song. When it first came out I got nailed for any negative opinion, but now I’m seeing a lot more in agreement.

[@dwfarr]

Subscribed for more Pentatonix (PTX). PTX started 13 years ago and they have a huge song catalog. They have 3 Grammys out of 5 nominations. They do world tours and are famous for their Christmas tours. Just like the movie, they had a sold out Christmas concert at Madison Square Garden last week. The middle three in this video (Kirstin, Scott, and Mitch) are the main vocalists. They grew up in Arlington, Texas and sang in high school together as The Trio. They added the beatboxer (Kevin) and bass (Avi - 2011 to 2017) to form Pentatonix. The current bass (Matt - 2017 to present) is in this video. In a cappella, the beatboxer and bass are the rhythm section that provides the foundation to support the main vocalists. Although, the rhythm section does sing at times while the main vocalists provide effects. Recommend their cover of The Prayer.

[@simsweechuah9753]

Thanks for the reaction. You should wear headphones when listening to PTX or Pentatonix and all or acapella music. You are missing so much intricate harmonies

[@Gwennedd]

Welcome to the greatest a capella group there is. These guys have been around for 13 years now and have a massive discography of over 200 songs.... some covers and some originals. There are also solo works from 4 of the members. Only one change in the line-up. The original bass singer, Avi Kaplan decided to leave for family and personal reasons. He now enjoys a great solo career. During their career the group has won 3 Grammys, a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and numerous other awards. I will make a suggestion that you invest in some headphones or earbuds, because you'll not only get far more enjoyment out of the songs, but we listeners will too. Right now, it's difficult to hear much because the volume is low and sounds analogue. Members are: 1st singer: Scott Hoying, lyric baritone. Lyric in musical terms means that the singer's vocal range is larger that the nominal stated range for that category. Scott's range enables him to be doing the bassline while the group's bass sings a verse. Yet Scott can sing into a high tenor range as well and has an impressive falsetto. 2nd singer: Matt Sallee, Lyric baritone. Matt's range and vocals are low enough ( and warm and deep enough) for him to be a bass singer although his classification is baritone. Again, his vocal range is massive, like all the members. Matt joined the group in 2018 when the original bass, Avi Kaplan left. 3rd singer: Kirstin (prefers Kirstie) Maldonado, alto-soprano. As with all the group, her vocal range is so big she can't be lumped into just one classification.She can go from deep alto right up to top of soprano and has a fantastic whistle range as well. You will note as you explore more of their work that her hair colour changes...a lot and can look like s new member, but it's just her in a different wig. 4th singer: Mitch Grassi, counter-tenor. Mitch has a once in a generation voice. He's a rare natural countertenor with a beautiful clear, angelic voice. He often shocks people when they realize it's a man with vocals that high and clear. His vocal range goes all the way from baritone to high soprano and it's impossible to say who, between Kirstie and Mitch, can sing the highest. 5th member: Kevin Olusola, beatboxer, cellist, tenor. Kevin as a very impressive man, He plays numerous instruments ( piano, sax and cello) and invented celloboxing...playing the cello WHILE beatboxing. He originally planned to become a surgeon and work in China. To that end, he spent months in China learning Mandarin as well as other Chinese languages, was taking his finals in Premed at Yale ( and accepted into the Medical program) when Scott called him and asked him if he would like to join the group. After finishing his finals, Kevin joined and never looked back. Some suggestions on what to do next: Sound of Silence, Daft Punk medley, Coffee In Bed (original), Shallow, Say Something, Kiss From A Rose, Happy Now (original), Sing (original), Havana. There's also a massive amount of Christmas stuff: Mary Did You Know, Carol of the Balls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night ( 2023 version), Christmas Time/Pure Imagination, Please Santa Please, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Little Drummer Boy.

[@Herby701]

great singing! although I must say, that Tim Foust guy does all voices, from superhigh to superlow! if you like singing, listen to his! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5TZi52leM6EmLs

[@alan-freeman]

Pentatonix a "brief" background. They won The Sing Off in 2011. They made a guest starring appearance on America′s Got Talent as non−competitors a couple of years after that. The founding members are:- Scott Hoying (tall blond guy, natural baritone but has an impressive five−to−six octave range, can go all the way up to high tenor and down to bass, sings the bass lines when the usual bass singer takes the lead); Kirstin "Kirstie" (Rhymes with "Thirsty") Maldonado (the only female member, natural mezzo soprano, but can go down to low alto and as high as upper soprano, also can sing in whistle notes that are off the scale); For a time in 2018 between the group’s tours, had the female lead on Broadway in the production of “Kinky Boots”. Mitch Grassi (a true contra−tenor, can hit high notes in his chest voice with ease and go WAY higher in his falsetto, also with ease); Avriel "Avi" Kaplan (dark beard and long hair), true basso profundo, trained as an opera singer, also can go up into the tenor range; and Kevin "KO" Olusola (beatboxer extraordinaire, also is a world−class cellist who plays cello on some of their songs, has a beautiful high tenor voice and gets occasional lead vocal solos as well, graduated pre−med from Yale and speaks several languages including Mandarin Chinese). Kirstie, Scott & Mitch grew up together in Arlington, Texas, and began performing together as children in local youth musical theater. They ended up in high school together and performed in the choir. While there, they formed an a cappella group called The Trio which had several performance videos go viral on 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. They married 22/04/24! Not clear how the future is to follow, but Kirstie has announced that she is expecting number 2 in early 2025. Not critical to the groups touring schedule, but Scott, Kevin and Matt are all married. Kevin and Matt with children. They have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame installed in February 2023. They are the only a capella group with a star! They came 3rd in the 2023 Masked Singer performing as "California Rolls" being unmasked in May 23. Things you need to know because if you get these wrong Pentaholics will come after you with pitch forks and torches! Ha Ha!! 1- There is NO Auto-Tune; what you hear is actually what they sing. They really are that good. One exception is the 90's Dance Medley where Cher used autotune as an effect - so they had to. 2- What produces everything that you hear in the video, you see in the official video. If there is an instrument used in the music, you see it on screen. In the 2022 Christmas album, there are some instruments not featured throughout the album. 3- They never release something on video they can’t reproduce with the exact same quality live on-stage. 4. It is "Pentatonix" there is no "The".

[@BringTheNachos]

LOL thank you, love the last part!

[@ATN2USN]

Nice kick start with Pentatonix. I agree with watching the original video, or anything in their catalog, particularly Chistmas stuff.

[@bwayne1994]

The Pentaholics will show once the algorithm gets you out there. Acapella , not Coachella. It means in the style of the church/chapel. It's all human voice (occasionally a single instrument might be involved). Pentatonix is one of the 3 big names in modern acapella music. The rabbit hole is well worth going down. The other two are Home Free and VoicePlay. Be sure to check them all out and the fans will come.

[@Badger77722]

Like many others, I would recommend getting some good quality headphones to listen to any music, but especially a cappella groups like Pentatonix - you'll be surprised at how much you're probably missing right now. This performance replicates how Pentatonix performs the song in concert these days. I would also recommend watching (even if you don't react to it) the original music video from 2016. Watching it will allow you to see the only personnel change the group has had in their history - the original bass singer who sings the second verse is Avi Kaplan, and the current bass singer (who again sings the second verse here) is Matt Sallee. All of the other members have been with the group from it's start back in 2011. The original video is the most popular one on their channel! One word of caution when reacting to Pentatonix videos - their label (Sony Music Entertainment, aka SME) is notorious for blocking video reactions. There are a number of ways to help get past this - stopping the video occasionally to comment on what you're hearing and your reactions, putting a slight filter over the video to obscure it slightly, blurring the video, dropping the transparency of the video to make it slightly more see-through. This particular video (and most of the live performances) don't seem to have nearly as much trouble getting blocked, but the "official music videos" will almost certainly cause problems. Nothing you can't handle, just a word of caution in anticipation of more PTX reactions on your channel!

[@HaroldDominguezhn]

Good version but a lesser version of their last arrangement of this song. Btw, it's Christmas. They excel in Christmas songs. I recommend O Come, all ye faithful to start

[@donnilloyd1355]

A Cappella. And the TOP of the A Cappella groups are Pentatonix, VoicePlay and Home Free. They are ALL awesome.

[@annefox926]

Welcome to the World of Pentatonix. You have over 13 years of videos & live performances to check out. This current iteration of "Hallelujah" is how they do it now in concerts.There is an official video from many years ago of them performing this in the Mojave desert & has currently around 750 Million views ! Worth checking out to see how wonderful they have been over the years & keeping evolving & improving . Not a bad song in the entire catalogue. Enjoy !

[@lindarichardson5101]

You hve to listen to more PTX!! They are awesome. I've been to 6 concerts but i could never get enough. 😊

[@annmc3878]

They were in the movie Candy Cane Lane last year and they were in Pitch Perfect 2. They have lots of Christmas music. I recommend “That’s Christmas to me”, “Please Santa Please”, “Kids on Christmas” featuring Meaghan Trainer, Evergreen, and so many more.

[@louellamoyer5578]

The original 'Official Video' is much better I think. The one they are in the desert. Subbed for more PTX!

[@sonjarussell7332]

I don’t like Matt schreeching either! Love him in everything else, just not on this song.

[@dwfarr]

Due to copyright issues, you will need to pause with comments a lot and will probably need image filters. We don’t mind since we are familiar with the videos and are here for your reactions.

[@PeitouBob]

Welcome. Headphones.

[@Badger77722]

Simple. Succinct.

[@randalljohnson5539]

Beautiful they are good. When you can try Home Free. They play all types of music from classical to country but I love their Christmas carrels this time of year.

[@marilyncernik4128]

Subscribed for more PTX ❤thank you ❤

[@IAMisLove]

Subscribed. Great performance, Pentatonix is awesome. If you would like to explore more, may I suggest a reaction to BABYMETAL. They are unique and have a worldwide fan base (The One). Their music has a positive and uplifting message. They have a fun and awesome performance: BABYMETAL - PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO) (OFFICIAL) Or: MAYA【Live Blu-ray/DVD「BABYMETAL BEGINS - THE OTHER ONE -」"BLACK NIGHT"】 Or to showcase the lead singer’s amazing voice: BABYMETAL - Monochrome - Piano ver. / THE FIRST TAKE 🖖 ❤

[@marilyncernik4128]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kirbycriger7415]

Headphones please you’re missing out

[@MarkLewis-sl5tk]

Only 1 thing could have made the Pentatonix even greater and that would have been if Karen Carpenter would have lived to sing with them

[@MrAndrewkheinrich]

NACHOS???? I'D LOVE SOME......😁😁😁

[@BringTheNachos]

LOL!

[@MrAndrewkheinrich]

@@BringTheNachos JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL - LIKES AND SUBBED.

[@BringTheNachos]

Awww, thank you!!

[@chetstevensq]

Listening to this song by this group and not hearing Avi Kaplan is a sin. Like Matt in the new stuff but the originals need to be heard with Avi singing bass.

[@sonjarussell7332]

I hear ya!

[@Blue-rl5dp]

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Pentatonix fan and I've been one since they started out, but I do not like this version. It's not that I don't like it as well as the original studio video version, I don't like it at all. But I'm glad that you and others do. Go try that one. You'll see what I mean.

[@sonjarussell7332]

I hear ya!

[@hardtackbeans9790]

You will need to be a little careful with Pentatonix. They will hit you with copyright. Either pause a lot more or put some blurring over their video.

[@RT-mn2pb]

I think this is a much MUCH weaker version then their official version, where they're walking outdoors. This is like a priactice session where they don't have it right yet. -- Please listen to the official version, much better to give them a proper review.

[@sonjarussell7332]

I wish you had listened to the *first* official Hallelujah video. I love this group and everything they sing…except this ‘new’ version of this classic song. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Matt, but I can’t listen to this rendition. Matt is a bass, so sing bass. I understand the need to set apart from Avi, but this is not the way to do it. It detracts from the music, instead of honoring it; literally screams look at me, look at me, see what I can do; and just plain doesn’t sound good. Leonard Coen would not approve. That said, welcome to the world of pentaholics!

[@franklinsyfrett4083]

Not as good as the original. Too much popsound from Scott. 😮

[@dwfarr]

Subscribed for more Pentatonix (PTX). PTX started 13 years ago and they have a huge song catalog. They have 3 Grammys out of 5 nominations. They do world tours and are famous for their Christmas tours. Just like the movie, they had a sold out Christmas concert at Madison Square Garden last week. The middle three in this video (Kirstin, Scott, and Mitch) are the main vocalists. They grew up in Arlington, Texas and sang in high school together as The Trio. They added the beatboxer (Kevin) and bass (Avi - 2011 to 2017) to form Pentatonix. The current bass (Matt - 2017 to present) is in this video. In a cappella, the beatboxer and bass are the rhythm section that provides the foundation to support the main vocalists. Although, the rhythm section does sing at times while the main vocalists provide effects. Recommend their cover of The Prayer.