Was the piano section useful to you? Let me know! --- --- --- Check out this reaction next! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M_faeZ-eqJI.html
Yes...very useful. Most of us aren't very musically inclined, so seeing just how they change a melody to still work as the melody and yet still enhances the original is very interesting and rather genius.
Bear in mind that this is episode 10, they are all exhausted from the show's grueling schedule, and they had to put this mashup together in a week, along with the other song they perform later in the show, plus the opening number with the other groups, and memorize the three songs plus working out and memorizing the choreography. For "Gold" they had all the time they needed to perfect it, plus no choreography.
Yeah, and Mitch, Scott and Kristi are only 19 years old they were babies. Plus, they weren’t truly selecting the songs that they were to sing. They had limiting parameters that they were required to fulfill, themes etc. And I imagine a limited list of songs that had been cleared for the show. You can’t just sing any song you have to get permission etc. and I’m sure the list of songs that were pre-authorized was limited.
It's really fascinating to see these early performances (even Gold) compared to their recent PENTATONIX KISS FROM A ROSE LIVE. They are constantly evolving. Some like that, and some don't. But I'm good with it. They definitely don't want to be locked in a box.
I think the challenge that week was to mash up two songs. They actually blended songs where the other groups sang two songs separately. Scott, Mitch and Kirstie did musical theater in Dallas/Fort Worth and that experience showed here.
You comment on things they would agree with, honestly. They very early in their career moved away from trying to imitate guitarrs, except for Mitch here and there. Scott and Mitch reacted to some Sing off stuff and commented on this specific song how exposed and "ah ah" the backgrounds are. So your views seem to align well with how they view it themselves. The breakout battle with bass and beat is an early ptx thing I would say. One of those gimmicky things that worked well in the a cappella sphere but that they moved away from rather quickly when they were trying to go for a more "making music with voices" rather than imitating instruments. Similar stuff pops up for them now and then but it's not a staple anymore.
There was a time limit on each song. It is unusual to have Avi and Kevin "face-off". Kevin has perfect pitch. Thank you for your amazing break-down. I look forward to more PTX reactions!
@@SirHairless in addition to Kevin being pitch perfect, they have all said that Mitch is extremely pitch accurate. Kirstie and Scott use Mitch to correct themselves if they get off pitch. I saw them live in September. I was second row, and despite being a fan since the Sing Off, I was stunned by how completely effortless Mitch sings. Regardless of where he is singing in his range, it just…… flows.
They had been together for less than two months here, They were kids and this was their first attempt to blend two songs. They had less than a week to arrange this and one other performance and yes they were limited in this t v. timed performance
Pentatonix are known for seamlessly putting together medleys and mashups. It's something Scott, Mitch and Kirsten started doing together in high school (secondary school in the UK). They have a series of "evolutions", medleys of many covers, usually from a single artist, though their first is 2013's "Evolution of Music" with hit songs from Gregorian chant to the 2010s.
Great to see you back at it with PTX! I don't know if anyone has commented on Mitch and Scott's YT channel called Superfruit. It's a little side venture that is no more, unfortunately. They are brilliant together! Anyway, Superfruit did a reaction to their Singoff material at one point and you could tell how uncomfortable they were with themselves and how they performed with vocals and dance. Especially Mitch, he was beyond uncomfortable and never wanted to watch those clips again! Mitch mentioned the fact that they were just holding out notes on so many occasions. You could tell that he thought it was too simple. So, again, your feedback is spot on. Being as they were so new together and hadn't had the time to dive in to what they loved versus what they liked and could get by with, I think their new ideas were simple yet effective. Can't wait for more of your reactions to whatever, whenever (credit to a Shakira song)! 🤣😂
So fun to watch their performances from the Sing Off. It was evident to most people that these "kids" were going to be wildly successful. Yes, I appreciate your piano analysis.
Yes, they did have time limits for these performances. It's all part of the competition. Also, remember, Pentatonix was just starting out here. While Mitch, Kirstie and Scott knew each other for a long time, Kevin and Avi were still fairly new to the Trio. Yet they are performing as if they've all been doing this together for a long time. When they performed Gold, they had been together for years, and had perfected their craft, so it does stand to reason that their older stuff was not going to be as intricate as what they have become. Someone else mentioned what else they also had to do during this week (the extra song, the group opening performance, etc), so I'm not going to reiterate that. One thing I do want to bring to your attention, that they were doing even back then... each arrangement they did, they had 'tricks' or surprises up their sleeves to make their arrangements stand out. This was just another version of that... the battle between bass and beatboxer, the simplified arrangement, they switched things up.
My favorites from the Sing Off run are Let’s Get it On by Marvin Gaye and Dog Days are Over from Florence and the Machine, both from later episodes of the show when the pressure was on to try and win. Seems like they do love a challenge! I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m seeing huge evolutionary steps from them over the last year or so, starting with Prayers for This World (written by the great Diane Warren), then Creep, I Rise and now Kiss From A Rose (live VEVO session). They have parted from their record label for all but their Christmas music, so that may play into it, or it may just be that they have matured as artists. Would love to have someone with music knowledge (not-so-subtle hint) to weigh in. Loved your reaction and value your insights, as always. Yes, future Sir with the piano was helpful. Peace …
Dog Days -- when you see it you say "Of course they won!" It encapsulates all the talent and all the genius of arranging and choreography and performance. It's the undeniable full package delivered with intensity.
I really enjoyed Let's Get It On, and Dog Days Are Over I've not yet (stress on the 'yet' part) listened/reacted to! Video Killed is currently my favourite Sing-Off performance though Haha hint received 😅 I've seen this recommended to me so will need to add it to my list. Unfortunately, due to my schedule, the video for this likely wouldn't come out very soon; so if people are happy waiting until the new-release hype has died down a bit for Kiss From A Rose, then my reaction and thoughts will come out eventually 👍 Also I noticed you mentioned Creep...assuming that's the Radiohead song? Absolutely incredible song, would love to see a PTX cover of this
@@SirHairlessKnowing that Kiss From a Rose is on the horizon, however far away, is good, so thanks. The live VEVO performance is stellar. There are at least two versions of the Radiohead cover up on RU-vid. One is a studio version (no video), but the one I like best is from their final performance on The Masked Singer where it’s live and you can see who’s doing what. Just try to ignore the over-the-top audience reaction shots. No, they didn’t win, but it gave them the opportunity to explore more and varied levels of singing with instruments and how that would be received. They came in third place, so you know musical excellence is not the only criteria for winning that particular competition …
@@pjb3583. They were getting ready to start their world tour and could not go any further in the competition because of that. That is the only reason they finished in third place. Plus, it was more or less an experiment to see how they would be be with actual instruments being infused with their performances.
Their new drop Kiss From A Rose live VEVO version is in my top 3 of their live performances… I’d love your vocal expertise input on what they are doing… it almost seems like cannon madrigal-like with modern dub step 😂🤷🏼♀️🤯
Well this sounds very interesting! I've written thousands and thousands of words in essay-format on madrigals in the past, so this comment really caught my eye 👀
Thank you for this! Especially the sort of tutorial on just how the new arrangement changes the original melody just enough to enhance it without completely changing it into something unrecognizable. . The other thing I'd like to note is your picking out of Mitch's vocals. Mitch was let know that he needed to "hide" or blend in because of both his voice and his gayness. Yeah...not at all cool, but it was a TV show and the producers thought that his vocals would stand out too much ( and probably give the group an unfair advantage) and the other factor would affect ratings. Mitch now refers to himself during that time on the show as MascMitch. So...when you picked up on his backing vocals , it's really nice to get those bits pointed out.
Thanks Gwennedd! And really?! (This is to the part about giving the group an unfair advantage)... If true, I think this is quite funny; it's essentially asking someone to be 'less good' in a competition 😮
Thank you! I'd like to offer something a little bit different - no matter how many times someone hears a piece of music, there is always something new to be found!
Love your PTX reviews. The Sing Off performances were very early, and under a time limit, and had to be created and performed weekly while also performing in show grouped songs. It's crazy to me how well they did under those circumstances. There are about 3 Sing Off songs of theirs that I love, the rest i am only amazed by their talent. I hope you do keep reacting to PTX, seems like you know what you are talking about musically, makes it so much nicer to hear your review.
If I remember right, there was a comment about how PTX were the only ones who actually did a megamix for this one, fusing the two songs together the way they did at the end, the others just did medleys.
Love your analysis. Their arrangements always blow my mind. I feel that they totally lend themselves to serve the song best, musically and entertainingly. The little story here of the bitter breakups from both songs makes this mashup sassy and funny. Thank you. I will keep watching. 🤗
I didn’t jump right on this reaction because it’s not among my favorite performances from the Sing Off, but your commentary and breakdown was very informative and interesting! Thank you! I can’t wait until you hear their brand new cover of Kiss From a Rose. It’s quite a contrast. They were always incredible, now they are masterful.
You might consider that the sing-off was an acorn. Gold was the mature Oak tree. In a way you are comparing apples to grapefruit. This performance was only the 5th or 6th time they had performed as a group. Scott, Mitch and Kirsten were in school together. Performed in school productions. They were a trio for several years. Avi(long A) was added later and Kevin showed up the day before their 1st performance. He was at Yale in pre-med when he joined the group. Is also fluent in Mandarin and plays the cello. . They were truly the “Babytonix’s”. Fast forward 8-10 years and you have the mature group doing Gold. FYI, during the sing-off they were given a music genre example Country Music, 11:59 to prepare over a week. They chose the song, did the arrangement on their own. The show provided costumes and lighting. Each week, for 12 weeks at least they had to choose from a given genre and work out the arrangement, staging, etc. That they won when both Kirsti and Scott lost their voice on different nights is amazing. Kevin grew into his best boxing during the weeks. In one song which name I can’t remember right now but it involved motorcycle, Kevin can be heard cocking a revolver and then firing it. Amazing. One other bit you may not have known. Avi is what I believe is a Basso Profundo (very deep bass). In fact, based on their own bios, Avi’s voice was so deep as a child he had to have voice lessons so he could be understood. That’s likely why he can hit those very deep notes and there are clips when he blew the speakers…more than once. There are so many great songs over the years it’s hard to suggest just a few. You might find one of their newer videos of Amazing Grace, Ny Chains Are Gone. It, like most of their work was done live. Little or no studio. I’m amazed at the reactions from professional musicians who need studio recording, auto tune, and the other technical support that they just assume Pentatonix needs this too. There are several Behind the Scenes videos showing how they were done live. Bohemian Rhapsody and Can You Feel the Love are just two available. BR was filmed on a residential street from about 11:00 PM to just before dawn. You can see the lane markers on the street and while still around the couch there is a brief house light way in the background. Only lasts a few seconds but it can be seen. Lion King was done backstage during one of their tours. The set is arranged, Mitch talks about his choice of costume and then complains it was covered over by the coat. It was so hot that when there were breaks they were all using those little individual fans trying to cool down. There is often a camera behind the one filming that shows how the song was done. Live. Of course there is some editing and adding some sfx but that is about it. About Gold, there is a section that Mitch does that Kiera isn’t able to do live. Her pianist does that part since her voice isn’t as good as Mitch’s. He can do it live and I understand from other reactors of Gold that it is simply unbelievable that he is able to go from one note to another so quickly hitting each one with notes between and going from low to high to middle back to high then low (example explanation. Don’t know the technical terms nor the sequence but it’s like that). His voice and range is just incredible. He can reach notes many sopranos can’t reach. I’m a new subscriber and enjoy your more technical content with the piano and sheet music parts. You may know this but if not, I’ve noticed that when you are deeply involved with the music a large smile begins to appear and it’s almost as if you’re so taken into the music you have become lost in it for a while. When that smile starts to show up I know you are truly enjoying the experience and for a short time you are not a reactor, just a deeply moved listener. That’s nice to see. You might like to track down the Ah-Ha live from Singapore. Avi blows a speaker when he hits a very very deep note. Kevin isn’t on stage. He was taking care of his cello backstage and wasn’t really needed for this performance. Be ready for the Mitch Slap at the end. Looks like someone in the audience was filming it on a smartphone. Not a professional but good enough. Will continue to enjoy your reactions to this group. Looks like you are well on your way to being a Pentaholic. Keep up the good work. And thanks for providing your reactions on RU-vid.
I always enjoy your piano illustrations. Gives a good visual and auditory assist to your reactions. Keep doing them please. I’ve always had a different interpretation of the wah wah sounds they were making. It always sounded like they were reacting to Scott’s lyrics as just so much whiny complaining. 🤨 Responding to the “Guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough” lines with the wah wah to indicate they weren’t interested in listening to his problems and hearing it as just so much white noise. Great reaction as always. Look forward to more Pentatonix reactions. Learn to Love Again and Over the River are some good ones. Also Making Christmas has a lot of great vocal dynamics in it.
While I agree Dog Days was probably their best overall performance on the show, my favorite Avi and Kevin from the Sing Off days will always be Love Lockdown!
Good catch. Yes, some of these performances seem rushed, and that's because there is a 2 minute limit on their performances. That's true for most of these singing competition shows, so they can get 8 or 10 performances in, plus opening group numbers plus the judges comments. I think that makes this even more difficult, because people are looking to hear the whole song, and only get a verse or two. I think this was #9, so there are 5 left, 14 total performances.
It's defintely cool to see the evolution from "babytonix" to now. I was just thinking that I don't think I've ever seen reactions to the trio's arrangements from before pentatonix was formed. There used to be a bunch of videos on scott's channel of the three of them singing a capella in high school . I would have recommended some, but I can't find them on youtube anymore :( Can't wait for you to get to their performance of dog days. It's up there with video killed the radio star imo
Scott made all his old videos unlisted before he released Mars. I scoured RU-vid for people's playlists and found most of them, I think. His upload of his Red cover appears to be deleted, but a fan re-uploaded it. Here's my "Scott Hoying unlisted" playlist. I'll make it private again tomorrow , so save all the videos you like to your own playlist. Edit; would be helpful to include the link. ru-vid.com/group/PLo5pXQnod7OdoG8KknkxFfrfd-I1ifvhC&si=J9vlhzUdiTisEptK
@@akinpaws Wow...Will these be accessible in the future at any time? I'd love to react to some...I love this kind of thing, seeing the really raw performances before fame.
@@SirHairless Hiya. Most of those videos are unlisted, because Scott released commercial professional music (which I HIGHLY recommend) on what used to be his goofing around channel, but they're still there if you have a link. I found all the links by scouring other fans' public playlists. He also has an even older channel, which I don't think he even unlisted. I don't like leaving much of anything open on my channel, but I'll leave that playlist unlisted instead of private, for you to browse through, if you want. Also will add to it, which I also recommend to you, a video posted on his dad Rick Hoying's channel, of I think 14 year old Scott (edit: 13) singing All I Want For Christmas Is you. Already recognizably the singer he would become. Enjoy. (edit 2) It would be pretty cool to follow a reaction to that video with a reaction to his first solo single, Mars.
You wanna hear someone "sound like a guitar"......😏😏.....definitely make sure you watch their rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. Has Brian May's seal of approval. Nuff said😉
For the Sing Off, Scott, Mitch, and Kirsten had just meet Avi and Kevin 1 day before the first performance. Also they were having to comply with the competitions requirements in less than a week of time to practice. But they still made it their own and still make so much gold in the time they are given. Oh and Mitch was still in High School age 20, Kirsten was just out of High School age 20, Scoot about 1 years out age 21, Avi was age 23 and Kevin was in Yale at age 24. so very young at the time.
Mitch didn't receive nearly enough credit on the show. In my opinion he is by far the best singer in the group. Just my preference. It's so nice to watch him grow into his skin. I commented on another reaction about Superfruit. You can really get to know Mitch and Scott on that channel and understand they fabulous dynamic between bff's. They also have a book. And they are soul mates. Not necessarily romantically, but one would be lost without the other
This was the last episode that was pre-taped before the two live final episodes (the first was were they announced the winner and the second was the Christmas special). They had been working for two months solid on all-new arrangements, rehearsals, learning choreography, costume fittings, and taping the pre-performance video packages every single week. By this point, they were simply exhausted. The fact that they came up with a relatively integrated way to mash up the two songs at that point in the schedule was actually quite remarkable. In comparison, the other three groups had very block-y mash-ups, where they sang one song for a bit, then the other, then back to the first.
Lovely analysis as usual! I want to reiterate my suggestion of My Heart With You (for depth of harmonies) and Evolution of Beyonce-- I often describe Evolution of Beyonce as a give and take, in terms of the energy they give the listener and what they take back to launch into the next song. It's especially tricky, too, because for the most part they're going in release order (an evolution of her earlier stuff towards the more modern), so they can't choose songs like they might in a medley such as the 90's Dance one, so that they specifically fit together. It's honestly a triumph of arranging, of syncopation, and a celebration of music they themselves love. I do hope you choose to check it out!
Hey again! Thanks for watching and for the recommendations 😀 I've got a LOT of recommendations to get through and there are only so many hours in a day, days in a month etc. BUT...I will get round to them as soon as I can!! They'll join the queue 🎶 And I can't listen to them before I film my reaction because that would be a dishonest first-time reaction - patience is the name of the game here, and it's getting tested more and more each day 😅 Appreciate your ongoing support
@@SirHairless Oh for sure, you're quite welcome. I'll say as someone who watches PTX reactions as a particular joy, it can often matter whether comments with certain songs are brought up more often or if they get upvoted a lot, so I apologize without a time machine (as I suspect I seem increasingly desperate as time passes... unintentional) that I bring up the same ones frequently! I'm used to hoping for rarer songs (such as Gold, which I figured I might have to wait a long time for and was VERY pleased to be wrong), so all I can do usually is just bring them up over and over! I do wish my notifs had led me to see this earlier as I would have couched my language as a kindness >< Thanks again!
Since you brought it up...medieval type stuff. You should really check out their treat called "Evolution of Music". They go very far back and as they introduce current times, its pretty cool. Most Pentaholics will say to view and listen to The Prayer before viewing the Recording of Evergreen. I completely agree. They have other talent. Youll hear of a "Mitch slap". Mine was Aha Singapore. If you want Kevin's amazing talent, Kevin's Fifth is your must go to....
Thank you so much for watching and analyzing these PTX performances! I've watched them evolve since first seeing them in this competition so many years ago. Your analysis is so impressive to me in that your ear is so quick and tuned to what you're hearing. You point out elements that either I never heard, or heard but didn't understand. Thank you so much! I know you don't take time on the judges' responses, but on this one performance in particular, Ben Folds made a comment about PTX being flat in one part of the performance. I wondered if you heard that also. I do NOT have a trained ear, but I think I heard something as well and wondered what it was that Folds and/or I was hearing.
Firstly, thank you so much for your kind words - they mean a lot! ☺ I did listen to Ben's comment and I completely agree with what he said. Being flat/sharp in acapella is generally accepted as a given at some points throughout a performance. There are so many possibilities and room for error in acapella singing, that having flawless performances is extremely rare, even for professionals, and PTX's performances - from what I've seen so far - are as close to flawless as you can get. So being flat here and there really isn't a problem! Especially at faster-moving parts, as the notes are over and done with quicker, so the impact of the flatness is less than longer sustained notes. Bearing this in mind, my comments at 3:30 saying that the arrangement is weak at that point in the performance are highlighting these longer, sustained "aah"s. This is definitely influenced by the flatness you can hear in them, which has the negative side effect of making the performance seem tired, and consequently the arrangement lazy. There are several parts of the performance where someone is 'flat' enough to be noticeable, but there's really no need to mention it because the performance all-round is terrific, and no one is perfect! I definitely feel this performance improved as it went on; almost as if they warmed into it 🔥And to echo Ben's comment, they soldiered on. In terms of intonation though - with intonation meaning how accurately pitched a note is - this performance (again, from the ones I've seen) is not one of their best - that's for sure. Every listener is different and enjoys different aspects of each performance; some might prefer the choreography, others might prefer the arrangement itself, and other-others might prefer performances that are perfectly in tune but have no choreography, etc etc. I think that as long as the performance overall really resonates with the listener, then that's the main thing 🎶
I’ve never heard they had an official time limit, but they probably did. the show had to fit its time slot after all. . As groups got knocked out, that time opened up a little. Are you watching the intro and judges portions of these? Interesting stuff, abd a lot of fandom lore originated during the show.
Thanks for this! I’d love to see you analyze my favorites of their later mash-ups - La La Latch (Sam Smith/Disclosure/Naughty Boy) with Avi, and New Rules x Are You That Somebody with Matt 🎉
Thanks for these recommendations! My reaction to one of these two (not saying which 🤫) should be coming in just under a month, if my schedule doesn't change
um, Love Lockdown and dog Days Are Over will blow you away...they could've had assistance for the arrangements but they did their own as well as the choreo...the ensembles were the show. Also Scott and Mitch have an off-shoot duo called Superfruit, their music is amazing and completely different from PTX, their Empire Medley is a DAZZLING display of their vocal and arrangement prowess
Thanks! From what I've heard, Dog Days Are Over is the last of the Sing-Off performances, and I plan on listening to all the Sing-Off performances eventually with that one being last! Superfruit has also been recommended to me a number of times so it's on my radar! Will definitely get round to them fairly soon 👌
You wanted some a cappella groups, there is two other groups you need to add to make the trifecta of a cappella. They are Home Free, considered country and Voiceplay considered the theatre kids. Each group is unique and can do all genre it seems. If you dive into them, would love to hear what you think of all the groups.
So why don't you include the judges evaluations? Those are fun as well; It's a significant part of the experience that helped PTX form their identity and how they would adapt to the advice given to all contestants in the show. How the judge critiques gave Pentatonix such valuable importance is what adjustments in their arrangements to tweak their cohesion. Some of that advice from the show has been an integral part of their foundation and why they are one of, if not the best, A Capella band ever. Back in 2011, the trio of Scott, Mitch, and Kirstin didn't have Beatboxer Kevin or Bassist Avi join with them until 2 days prior to auditions for the show. A minimum of 5 members was the Sing-off's requirement in order to compete on the show. They did not create the group name Pentatonix until all 5 were together and all 5 agreed that Pentatonix is who they are.
Hey! Good to see you commenting again - thanks for watching these vids! I have thought about including the judge's thoughts, and I very well may do in future reactions (not guaranteed)...
Hey Harry👋🏼. I just recently stumbled upon you (yay)! PLEASE check out PENTATONIX’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy! Not only is it very pleasing to the ears but the video is AWESOME! I’m Gigi and I’m listening 🥰
Hey, thanks for commenting! I've responded to this in another comment so will copy that below: From what I've heard, Dog Days Are Over is the last of the Sing-Off performances, and I plan on listening to all the Sing-Off performances eventually with that one being last! Superfruit has also been recommended to me a number of times so it's on my radar! Will definitely get round to them fairly soon 👌
I love their mashups now but i feel their mash ups were their weaker performances on The Sing Off and really are not my favorite. I enjoy liatening to your break downs, its nice to hear as not all reaction videos have the depth like that.
