The group has been grinding since day one. No doubt about it, Pentatonix's transformation is turning heads. Here's why group member, Avi Kaplan, decided to say peace out.
He's clearly so much happier and in an enviroment that fits him. Same for Matt and the band. Matt brought in joy and excitement to a group that were overworked and had been grinding for years. I think everything worked out exactly as it should, and each phase has it's time. The life is not for everyone, and living basically on top of each other for that long really needs personalities that can thrive or at least sustain in such a space. They all seem good at making sure that people get to recharge in ways they need (Mitch and Kevin spending more time in their dressing rooms etc) but there is only so much you can do with a full touring schedule on the road. Wild that Matt has been in the band by now as long as Avi was!
@@hernameispekka_Rebecca I feel the same. I'm not really into the country genre. But I listened to 7 Layers Sessions recording of "All Is Well" and I can't get enough. Avi's voice has a resonance that is stunning. And his lyrics come from a sensitive, open heart. Avi's clearly in his happy place.
I dislike that the title is why he “ditched” them. But otherwise is guess it’s fine. Yes Avi left for personal reasons and it appears that he is doing great and so are they. I adore all of them. Matt is a great addition to the group and Avi is happy doing solo work. Seems like it was the best choice for all.
Same I know I heard rumours that he had issues with some of the group, specifically Kristin but weren’t happy with it’s outcome so chose to leave instead. Not sure if true as I took it with pinch of salt. I guess a lot of things said on internet are said in a way to be clickbaits for more views and likes. And taking them with a pinch of salt is the only way (I personally think) is the best way to deal with it. No point getting upset over every little thing or I’d be constantly negative etc.
@@rainofkhandaq6678 Negativity breeds negativity which I think has become a huge problem in our society. I think we need to be happy for those that succeed in doing what they love instead of being so critical all of the time.
This caption felt negative to me, and then I read some of the comments. Wow! The vast majority of us love Avi, and celebrate the success both he and Pentatonix have had since 2017. In our current very delicate political environment, I'm wary of any conclusions made in cynical and judgmental comments that omit relevant pieces of information. What possible motive could someone have in today's world for weaving a narrative that discredits Avriel Kaplan? Just sayin'...
Really?!? You just HAD to use the word "ditched"? He contemplated long and hard to make this very difficult decision that was ultimately best for all of them.
I completely respect Avi. He needed to be with his family. I am so happy Matt is a part of the band and I wish Avi the best of luck wherever his life takes him next.
After watching the full video when he left the group, I gathered that they have a pretty grueling tour schedule and it was just too much for him. He had independent projects he wanted to work on and a new tour started almost as soon as the last one ended. Also constant traveling does separate you from your family and friends. He had to do what was best for him.
Can you imagine never having heard Avi’s music??? The world is a much better place with Avi solo. Thank you Avi for having the courage and belief. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🏴
I have grown to really like Matt but Matt did not replace Avi! You can never replace someone you have grown to admire and enjoy and respect. There will always be a place in my heart and playlist for the original PTX songs with Avi’s special music. I’m very proud of the musician Avi has become. His voice is so special. So carry on Avi and keep surprising us with your talent and your beautiful musical instrument - your voice. God gave you more than talent. He has blessed you with a gift. ❤
I haven't really been able to listen to and enjoy Pentatonix the and way without Avi.😢 I still love follow and support them especially individually but it just doesn't feel or sound the same
@@rockermidget321 I miss Avi too and I follow him too. But Matt did not take Avi’s place. He made a different place. They aren’t the same and Matt didn’t try to be Avi. You know, even Scott can sing bass. But I understand what you are saying. I just can’t imagine not hearing Mitch, Kirsten, Scott, and Kevin doing their magic and Matt really does his part. Their music has a special place in my heart. 🥰
You could just tell that he operated on a different wavelength to the others. They are people who move as fast as lightning, whereas Avi is a more mellow and laid back fellow.
He sang at my middle school around the same time for his father's retirement. Mr. Kaplan (Avis father) was one of the PE teachers. Fyi I have video proof of his singing and him saying it was "for my dad"
As a bass in an acapella group, he just didn't have the opportunity to shine as much as his talent deserves. I'm surprised that the rest of them have been able to stay together because such talented superstars rarely stay together.
Well they all do solo stuff on the side so that helps. With Avis greater need to recharge that wasnt an option and would make him less able to exolore other creative facets of himself.
Well they are friend and been working together since they started. Idk why you think one of them will leave because of that. Avi left cause of traveling to the hospital to see his mom and come back to perform is too much for him. And he wanted to do mostly solo.
I agree that they are all vocal superstars in their own right as individuals - but the world doesn’t need more solo superstars! As a vocal A Cappella group, they’re head and shoulders above everyone else! They’re doing vocally, with their own natural abilities, what other groups/soloists are doing with autotune. They realise that! Also, don’t think that if they all depart from each other, they still won’t be surrounded by an entourage of people. At this stage, they’ve built a strong bond with each other (& each other’s families) that is both loving and supportive. Long may it last. Harmoniously.
@@iiiisssssaaaaaacccccc I think Avi also missed his quiet time in nature. Some folks are hard wired that way. They are so close to the organic pace of nature that when you upset their circadian rhythms with excessive travelling, they can't function properly. Avi was also busy with the A Cappella Academy with Ben and Rob through that time, so he had lots on his plate, and there just wasn't enough time for him to get back to his beloved trees and lakes to reset. His mother's situation added to the dysregulation, of course.
idk if I agree with " didn't have the opportunity to shine" though I get the sentiment behind it. Avi was integral to the PTX sound and the group passed around the lead singing in a very egalitarian way. It's difficult to not play a small comparison game between Avi and Matt- I very much miss Avi's sound- he had a lot of unique vocal tricks, but Matt's smooth vocals covers the bass gap well.
Have you listened to the 7 Layers Sessions recording of Avi singing his original, "All Is Well." I'm not a fan of the country/Americana genre either, but that particular song has beautiful lyrics and highlights Avi's voice as only superb acoustics can. Stunning.
Just before he left he along with the rest of the group, literally made a whole video explaining why Avi was leaving. As sad as the group was, they still fully supported him.
I saw that video, too, and at the time I thought that was the whole story. After hearing from insiders that things started out that way, but began to fray once the lawyers got involved, I felt that was probably likely since PTX and Avi haven't breathed the same air since 2017. Not even for the Hollywood star. Something soured that split, and if it was because Avi wanted to keep ownership of songs he wrote and the rest of the group felt he wasn't entitled to them, well... I'm behind Avi all the way. Just my opinion of something that might be...
@@kayecastleman6353Avi was at Kevin's wedding, but I heard he was seated away from the band. Idk if he was at Scott's. It made me sad that he wasn't there for the Hollywood star, but from everything I have heard & seen, he had to approve of it for them to get it...I wish they had at the very least acknowledgedhim in their speech. PTXs new album has a lot of their Avi songs on, and I wondered whether he would have had to give permission for that too (and what the legalities are around royalties etc). I also noticed recently that Kevin is also being more active with Avi's insta. For example, Kevin recently shared/reacted to one of Avi's promos for "Healing", his new song, on his stories. It always sucks when the lawyers get involved and sour the pot. And while there are clear rumours, idk if we will ever have the full story because even if one side does talk about it, I think we would only be hearing it from their pov, and not the full truth of it, y'know? I hope things do start healing between them fully, it would be great to see a collab in the future, or just to see them share space comfortably. But for now I'm just glad they all seem to be doing what they are meant to and what makes them happiest.
@@kayecastleman6353he was at Kevin's wedding and he was invited to the Hollywood Star event but declined out of respect of the other members. I would've loved to have seen him there.
@@rockermidget321 I was under the impression that Avi and Kevin were still communicating, so I'm happy to hear that he was at Kevin's wedding. Kevin strikes me as the kind of person who would not hold a grudge. And I can imagine that Avi would not let a friend down by ignoring an invitation to such a major life event. I was really disappointed that he wasn't at the star ceremony, but I can also understand that he would not want to make the current members uncomfortable. As a Pentatonix fan since 2012, I was impressed mostly by Avi's contributions to their work. IMHO, he gave the group a certain gravitas that elevated them from the general pop music that the Trio had mastered. Of course, I don't discount Kevin's contribution, too, with his extensive classical training and experience. But Avi already had a small fan base from his teaching and previous musical endeavours. If you watched their Sing-Off performances, there were regular signs for Pentatonix and for Avi in the aufience, but not for any other single member of PTX. I believe Avi was key to their initial rise to popularity, their Grammy successes, and the ongoing devotion of their fans, a segment of whom lost interest in the group after he left. For all these reasons I feel he earned his place at the Hollywood Star event, and I'm disappointed the rest of the group wasn't able to make him feel welcome there. When you say he was invited, do you know if he was invited by Pentatonix themselves, or by the awards committee? I can see how that could make a big difference ro Avi. Of course, I don't know what went on behind the scenes during their split or preceeding the star ceremony, so these are just my uninformed and biased opinions. But the one other bit of gossip that my opinions are based on has to do with their relationships with other artists. According to my limited knowledge, Avi has an unblemished record in his dealings with fellow artists, recording staff, fans, academy colleagues and students, and virtually anyone involved in his music career. I know the same cannot be said of certain other members of PTX. If anyone has first-hand knowledge that disputes any of this, I'm happy to be educated. I have been told that all their combined original work that had not yet been recorded remained on the table after the split, so it wasn't a matter of Avi keeping control of anything. None of anyone's work got to see the light of day, since they functioned as a group and collaborated on most every project to a greater or lesser degree. So everyone lost something in the "divorce," which is usually what happens, and is seldom the fault of a single party.
@@kayecastleman6353 Hanno ricevuto la stella per le esibizioni dal vivo, e onestamente devo ammettere che le loro performance sono molto migliorate con l'ingresso di Matt nel gruppo. Ha portato una gioia di vivere, una frizzantezza e molte novità negli spettacoli. Questo il pubblico lo sente. Amavo Avi nel gruppo, ma mi spiace dover dire che come solista non mi piace troppo. Ha una voce dal suono nasale che purtroppo contrasta con la sua abilità come basso.
The best possible way of an artist to leave his group. Not because they hate each other so much that they simply do not want to work together anymore. But because of him not being able to see his friends and family, he left while still loving his group and wishing them the best of success. That's how it should be and I'm very happy that they departed in harmony
So what's this headline about which insinuates that Avi 'ditched' PTX, further implying that there was negativity involved within the group connected to his decision to leave? That's total BS, and thank you Avi for publicly clearing that up. PTX has moved on without Avi, and Avi has moved on without PTX, and they're both doing fine. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. PTX hasn't missed a beat, and Avi has made a name for himself as a solo artist.
His Floating On A Dream album is great, I listen to it every week. I’m personally happy for him, once he went solo he could focus on all the music he had swimming in his brain that wasn’t going to fit in with PTX’s traditional approach. “My Queen” specifically would probably sound sweet af in acapella.
Now why are you lying@@melodytannerclark? You like Avi great, but to say he was the best singer is simply not true. Especially with modern group. And even back when he was a part of the group.
@@melodytannerclark If you haven't listened to them since he left, than how could you say they aren't what they were without him? Thought to be fair you are right in that he wasn't just copied so they are different, but they aren't worse or better.
@@melodytannerclarkyou obviously just want a reason to hate lol. He barely had solos. And they’re still just as good as they’ve always been even without him. Get a grip.
To me Avi made the group's sound. I love Matt and can't think of a better bass for PTX, except for Avi. I'm glad it worked out for them all, but I found myself kinda following Avi's solo career as soon as he left
I love Avi's voice and follow his career. I think he would be disappointed to read the comments about Matt since he helped choose him as his replacement. Of course he sounds different no 2 voices are alike and Pentatonix still sound amazing
The differences between Avi and PTX were painfully obvious, even if no one wants to talk about it. PTX has found a niche and that isn’t where Avi wanted to go, or could go. He made a good decision. PTX seems to be happy in their niche, although their popularity outside the niche has faded a bit, they are still in the game. Hope it works for them and I glad to see Avi doing well.
Recently, Austin Brown left Home Free for the same reasons and likewise, said that he wished only continued success for them & all the best for his replacement Adam Bastien.
He definitely needed a different environment. I totally support his decision to leave. I just wish he had stuck to his statement that he never wanted to inhibit their success. He has legally repressed about 2 dozen original songs that were written while he was there. That is definitely standing in their way.
Would those be songs Avi wrote, or co-wrote with Kevin? Seems fair to me that the group would split their original works based on who was the primary creator. Do you feel retaining ownership of a couple of dozen songs that were his brainchild has slowed down the success of PTX? Should he have walked away with nothing that he created in those six years? I believe Avi's declaration that he did not want to inhibit their success was referring to his inability to keep up with their punishing schedule. His chronic jet lag and family issues were holding him back from maintaining the pace the rest of the group was setting, and Avi didn't want to hold them back from that.
@@lindajanca8069 That was my understanding, too. Of course, Avi would have final say, but if the legal wrangling has to do with ownership of original songs, we know Avi was the primary composer in the group. So much of his original input and creative content stayed with the group when Avi left, did they feel he should have walked away with none of his own works? I'm not a fan of lawyers in these situations, but if they talked him into retaining his own creations, I'm glad they did. Too bad certain members of the group felt he shouldn't have that.
I don’t believe his reasons for leaving. He went straight into doing a solo project that would require him to spend about the same amount of time away from family and friends. They’re hiding the real reason he left.
Gosh! Finally! In the not too distant future, we will hear the truth about his leaving! There’s So Much More to this. But, ultimately it doesn’t matter. PTX (& we) gained Matt, who lifted the spirits and the vibe of PTX (they were all looking so morose prior to Avi leaving). Avi got to do what he wanted to do (which btw he probably wouldn’t have been able to do if he’d won any of those previous voice talent shows he had previously taken part in), without any of the pressure and fanfare to be a big name. I’m looking forward to hearing the real story, I’ve heard rumours, reasons and excuses. But I feel sure that the parting was not as amicable as it is made out to be. (Kevin’s wedding, Scott’s wedding, the Walk of Fame - and let’s look out for Kirstin’s wedding! All tell a tale of ‘friendships’, relationships and “hard feelings”). Time will tell. 🤗
I agree, I suppose they weren't on good terms anymore. They never promoted each other's work and were never seen together again after the split. I think he left because he wanted to do his own thing and felt frustrated just singing dum da dum all day while the others, especially Mitch and Scott, were constantly at the center of attention (it took a long time for Kirstin as well to finally shine). They probably got on each other's nerves and everyone felt relieved afterwards
Nah, I get it. Hey, I'm a Christian, but dude needs to be true to his roots. I appreciate that he did the Christmas album, but I get why he had issues with it, too. I'd make the same call. If I was with a mad-successful Jewish group, but they were doing things that were discordant with my culture and heritage, I'd love my friends, but I'd have to rethink my position. You only get one life, and you have to make your choices.
I like Matt better/ vibe fits better and is as happy one. I've seen them a few times. Matt has been a member as long as avi was , and he can give Kevin much more room to hear his lovely voice
Rumor has it that Avi and the group didn’t get along great. They were happy when Avi left. Avi also stunted the solo project since he helped write and sing them. I don’t know… Avi was also a lover to Trisha Paytas for a while too back in the day.
@@psivana just goggle images of her and Avi and you will see. She even talks about him in her older vlogs but not by name. Look at the dates of the pics with them too and go watch some of her videos from that time. I promise it 100% facts.
PTX was almost exclusively a cover band in those days. That was where their success came from, not from original music, which was written primarily by Avi. Holding on to his own music did virtually nothing to inhibit the success of PTX. Especially their new dynamic with Matt, which lends itself to a strongly pop style, and doesn't suit Avi's music.
@@kayecastleman6353well their first original album was with Avi so I do think it affected them. I do dislike that, but they have definitely moved on and done so many great things since. Everyone has grown.
They lost their chemistry when he left. They aren't enjoyable to me for some reason. But I am glad he is able to be with friends and family. And do his own thing.
First of all, a really poor choice of words in using the word 'ditched' in your headline. Avi's departure was an amicable one. We Pentaholics have wished nothing but the best for Avi since he announced his departure. Although we miss him, we still love him and wish him nothing but the best in his solo career. I can't wait until he has a performance in my neck of the woods. Pentatonix gave him the exposure and everything he needed to have a successful solo career, so he didn't have to start from scratch. Also, Matt Salle has done a wonderful job in picking up the pieces and running with it. Kudos to both Avi and Pentatonix.
I love Matt in PTX. I love old songs with Avi. I understand he left and they are all doing amazing. I don’t sub to your channel and after the bait of “ditched” I won’t be subbing today either.
It’s not CLEAR why he left, but this is very old news now - he’s been gone for 6 years! Matt’s been the current PTX Bass singer for 6 years! You’ve added no additional information. Nothing to see here .
If I recall, Avi's parents were older even then. Both he and his sister worked with PTX so they were never home. The more popular PTX became, the faster paced their career became. I think he quit to spend more time at home and do a different kind of music. I love Avi, but his music isn't for me. Nevertheless I wish him well. 🤗
lol what a clickbait. Anyway, I love Avi but I support his decision. Matt is great as well, he fits well in the group, I can see him loving being there.
