Pretty much every Pentaholic will tell you that every song they do is better than the original, and on the whole that is true. I love their five part harmonies the best I think. 'When the Party's Over' is stunning, and not done by many reactors. For more of Kevin and his cello/beatboxing, their cover of 'Shallow' is awesome (another one where Kirstie shines), but to be totally mindblown by what Kevin can do, take a look at his cover of 'Down'. Just search Kevin Olusola, and you'll find his channel 😊
Kirstie really shines in this one - it suits her voice very well. Avi (the bass) has a very versatile voice but always has that warm rich tone - please check out his solo work. Kevin is very talented - their cover of 'Radioactive' with Lindsey Stirling on violin is amazing.
Great reaction. You should check out Shallow. Also, Run to You and My Heart With You are two beautifully done songs wiith very similar siimple settings.
I'm sure many have said this, but you must check out Kevin Olusola's solo project "Down". He sings, plays, cello, beatboxes and uses a keyboard to mix it all LIVE! Looking forward to your reaction to that.
When you asked for similar songs to this one, did you mean with instrumental accompaniment? If so, their original song “Thank You” is a must. If you’re looking more for a song where all 5 are just straight-up singing, then “Run To You” (another original) is amazing as well.
It's true that PTX sings lyrics so clearly that I've "noticed" the words in MANY songs after I heard their cover. I think it's their musical theater background that gave them the ability to sing the words so clearly. One more point: its perfectly normal for a cover to surpass an original song. It happens all the time. For example, nobody remembers that Whitney Houston's iconic rendition of "I Will Always Love You" was a COVER of a Dolly Parton original.
Love your reaction 👍 You could check Gold by Kiara, amazing cover and live by the way. Run to you, one of their originals, written by Avi and Kevin is gorgeous. 5 parts harmony, top lyrics and melody. Then you have to see and hear Popspring Special 2016, live in Japan. 3 originals and one medley, the sound, recorded by MTV is fabulous and their talent just shines so bright 😍 you have to discover that 😉 Thanks 😘
So glad you reacted to this! Definitely in my top five if not my top three. And you're 100% correct, this blows the original out of the water, IMO. Strongly suggest reacting to "Can You Feel The Love Tonight". if you are familiar with Elton John's version from The Lion King, I think you'll really enjoy their version. I also like theirs better 🤷🏻♂️
That's the benefit of A'Capella. When the human voice doesn't have to compete with musical instruments....well, the words are so much more clear. Instruments also cover up a lot of slip ups, forgotten words and keeps a professional singer on key, for the most part.
This was one of the earliest videos where Kevin played cello and beatboxed for the group (that combination is actually what got him invited to join the group for The Sing-off in the first place). This is one of my all time favorite Pentatonix songs. Kirstie's vocals and even her facial expressions are just so perfect for this song - it's one that really made her my favorite of the group. And it's almost a study for singers that you can "belt" and not just be loud, but still have emotion in your voice. A song that is very similar in both tone and performance is Dancing On My Own, but there are some differences as well. While Kevin is still cello-boxing in the song, it's not a Kirstie showcase, and it is one of two videos the group did after Avi (the original bass) left the group and before Matt (the "new guy") joined the group. It really harkens back to Mitch, Scott and Kirstie's days in high school as the Trio, with the addition of Kevin. And the cello actually plays a line that is very similar to the bass line Avi would have sung if he were still in the group. Another similar song is Shallow, their cover of the Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper duet from A Star Is Born. Kevin cello-boxing, and another emotional Kirstie powerhouse of a song.
Kevin (the beatboxer) started studying piano and cello as a child and was in school orchestras rather than choir. He studied math and languages in school and college, not music, but was very active in music activities. When he was working on his pre-med degree at Yale he took a term abroad in China. It was there he started combining beatboxing and cello and decided to delay med school and get a music degree. But he was recruited by Pentatonix right after graduating in 2011 and never made it to music school
Kevin intended to continue his medical studies. He went to a performance highschool where he focused on music (cello/sax) and has been recognized for his music since he was young, even having a day named after him in his home state. He also hosted a mini series featuring young classical musicians. Music has always been in the forefront with Kevin, fortunately for us.
Subscribed. Like this? Their cover of "Dancing on My Own" - with no one singing bass. I prefer the upbeat stuff, but can appreciate their arrangement to nearly everything.
Your comment about the talent that Kevin displays with the cello, beatboxing and voice leads me to recommend his cover of Marian Hill's 'Down.' He really shows how incredibly gifted he is! Love your reactions - keep up the good work!
If anyone wonders how a group can take a very simple song…. that is moving exceptionally SLOW in tempo…. has MANY REPETITIVE LINES…. is written in a minor key…… and has extraordinarily sad lyrics….. I mean… who would think this collaboration of dark, melancholic lyrics and music could possibly hold someone’s attention for any length of time? Yes, if someone wants a lesson on how to captivate an audience or listener with all these seemingly detracting elements working against our natural desire for light, fast and happy music all they need do is listen to this song. There is no way to watch this video and avoid being swept up in its emotional envelopment and be utterly transfixed all the way to the very end. I’ll have to listen to the end again but I believe even the last note Kevin plays on the cello is not in the last chordal structure he is singing thus leaving the piece in an unresolved state which again, of course, perfectly matches the message of the song….. lack of resolution (in this case, of some kind of relationship)
Similar vibe...Somebody that I used to know. Cello-boxing...Radioactive, Over the river and I believe Perfect....may have missed a couple. Kevin singing...Imagine, Mary did you know, Amazing Grace. Really they do songs of almost any genre. Another category is songs with rap...this would be an essay if I went into every category, and this is before Christmas music which is another whole thing!
Kevin (beatboxer) is a classically trained cello player. He has some solo videos out there you should check out. “Down” is a good one. Also if there is a musical instrument being used in a Pentatonix video, you will see it. Scott players piano too.
Really love Pentatonix's cover of this great song. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your time with us. So glad you enjoyed and hopefully will continue to enjoy your journey with all your new found musical experiences. I'm 70 years old and I don't listen to much of what is on the radio anymore. So I appreciate you reactors so much. Still stuck in the 60's and 70's but have found some real great new artists that I truly enjoy thanks to you tube and their reactors. Peace out.
Your Pentatonix journey is awesome, Kevin‘s cello boxing is how they found him originally… If you want to see how talented Kevin is on his own, he has his own KOver RU-vid channel that will blow your mind!
**THERE ARE LITERALLY NO WORDS IN MY ENGLISH VOCABULARY, THAT CAN DESCRIBE THIS GROUP!!!** ❣ I have also come to the conclusion, that Mitch is an Alien, from the planet of WTF 🙃 😊🙃 I truly love how Pentatonix will put their own spin on a song, yet still manage to keep the integrity & respect the original artist.
Yep, Kevin is crazy talented, you may want to check out his cover of Down on his channel - Kevin Olusola, the beatboxer extraordinaire and so much more. Kirstie breaks my heart in this one, and I try not to be too amused at the way Scott has a death grip on those chair backs so he doesn’t gesture. He can sing as much with his hands as his voice in some cases. Love your reaction and your openness to exploring a capella music. It’s come a long way since barbershop quartets. Peace …
I had never really heard the lyrics on many of the songs they upgraded. I think it's most notable when they cover singers, like Ariane Grande, who don't always annunciate clearly. So, it's a big difference when PTX sing it because they all do annunciate so perfectly, that you can suddenly hear a song like you hadn't been able to before. I'm pretty sure they can all play instruments, but Kevin is just a musical overachiever lol Scott, Mitch & I believe Kirstie all play piano (certainly the guys do, but I'm sure I've seen it mentioned that Kirstie does too), Avi plays guitar and mandolin (at least), Matt plays drums, Kevin plays cello, saxophone, and keyboard, (and I think maybe some drums too, not sure). So they can, they just rarely do with the band.
Thank you for reacting to this beautiful Pentatonix video. Kirstin really put her musical theater background to great use in this one. She expressed the pain, frustration, anger, etc., that a person in that situation would feel. That "cry" tone in her voice was a perfect touch. They all did a fantastic job in this one. They all play musical instruments. Only Kevin and Scott have done so in their band songs. Kevin has his own RU-vid channel (Kevin Olusola). Check out his performance KOver of "Down".
The original is by A Great Big World. The popular version is the 1 where they were joined by Christina Aguilera. 😉 Got to love the Death Grips that Scott has on the chairs🤣 he's always singing with his hands, he just can't help it. You can even see his arms twitch a few times when he almost forgot that this is supposed to be a relatively still video🥰😂
Lol yeah, Scott is a hand singer. IMO in their music video for Can't Help Falling in Love, when he puts his hands up briefly at the end, but everyone else has their's in their laps, I can just picture someone behind the camera mouthing at him to put his hands down! LOL!
Uurban legend says that Kirtin had an eye infection filming this, which is why her hair is coving that eye. The second is that Scotthad a white knuckle grip on the chair backs to stop his hands moving, as he 'talks' with his hands. The whole visual is supposed to be a photograph.
This one is crazy-good, the original was good, this Upgrade is amazing. The pain Kirstie captures is nuts. When Kevin breaks out Beyonce (his Cello) you know stuffs 'bout to get real! And for context, this was still pretty babytonix.....they've always been a Master at their craft and have just continued to evolve and train and make their voices go from incredible to insane! lol The stacked offset harmonies in this one kill me every time even though I know it's coming.
Idk the true meaning but to me it sounds like someone dealing with a loved one who's maybe considering suicide or is slowly killing themselves w/drugs or alcohol. You keep trying to pull them out of a funk & you simply cannot do it anymore. You've done everything you can but I'm not gonna sit here and watch you kill yourself
