All of us have had the dilemma. Don't do the ranking! Just enjoy. That said, this is one of my favorites. I love, at the beginning, where Avi basically hums a cello line while Kevin is plucking the strings. After The cello starts playing that line, Avi drops lower to harmonize with the cello while Scott and Mitch take higher harmony lines. The arranging, in my opinion, is just spectacular.
I TOTALLY agree with this recommendation! Check out Kiara's original first - lots of electronic stuff - so you can really see how amazing PTX's version is. All without instruments! ❤
you’ve stumbled across one of the true dilemmas of every Pentaholic: how to pick a favorite? none of us can! lol the harmony part in this song that starts with Scott and Avi that slowly incorporates everyone else and builds to this emotional climax…ugh! just gorgeous! chills every. single. time. some other suggestions: Havana, New Rules x Are You That Somebody, Imagine. oh! and you haven’t even begun to dive into their Evolution series (Evolution of Michael Jackson/Beyoncé/Rihanna/Ariana Grande). ❤
Personally, I have a soft spot for one of their original songs that never got a video and never gets reacted to. "Standing By". I saw a recording of a live performance of the song and it was just amazing. And kind of sad, now that Avi's gone, since it was a solo song for him.
Cello is one of the instruments considered to sound closest to the human voice. And I feel this should still count as a capella, because when you see Kevin play cello it's obvious that instrument is part of him.
PTX arranged this song, then asked their crew and videographer to create a set for a "still" painting to perform against. This is one of the very few songs that the group isn't moving, and boy, does that up the emotional impact. Subscribed for more PTX, commenting to hope the YT algorithm posts this to more people's feeds.
Yes...so emotionally draining and of course the atmosphere that the set and videography portrayed also set the mood. They and their crew ( arranger, mixer, set designer, etc) are so good at getting the sets just perfect for the atmosphere they want to pervade the video.
Sorry about the copyright thing. From other reactors' comments, I believe it is hard to get a music video reaction monetized without cutting it to bits. Most Pentatonix reactors either appeal the block and usually the video is released in a few days. OR they alter the video image to a point where you can barely make out what's going on -- usually some combo of reducing the size, increasing the transparency, and overlaying with a graphic or text, though some get really creative. Changing the image makes it possible to post even without any stops, since the audio usually doesn't seem to cause a block. There are also lots of songs with no official video, and reacting to audio-only, lyric and most live videos are usually not blocked. Good luck.
I wouldn't even try to pick a favorite from them. Every time you hear a new one from them, you will say it is your new favorite. That is the way I am also. If you want to hear Kevin Olusola playing a really cool cello, YOU MUST check pout his solo cover of Down!!! He is amazing. I personally never knew a cello could do the things he does with it!!! As far as Kirsten singing a lead, you should check Pentatonix's original song, Be My Eyes. She is amazing!
I love Avi’s little solo part in this, his voice is gorgeous! Nick, it would be fun to see you react to his solo music as well, most people start with Change on the rise but his live performance of All is well for 7Layer sessions is beautiful and another good one to start with.
As a fan of Pentatonix for 3 years now, and yes as like for most people, I discovered them late. First time was Halleluiah and I was floored by what I watched and listened to and from there I started watching and listening to their videos and like you I started ranking them, but they have so many of them and I simply quit ranking it. As a fan of PTX, all of their covers and originals songs I've heard...I ranked ALL of them #1.
no apology needed for pausing, it will help you get your videos uploaded - we enjoy reactions! Your favorite is usually the song you are listening to - try 90's Dance Medley, Evolution of Ariana Grande, Sing, Radioactive - there are a couple of hundred amazing covers and originals.
The 1st time i heard PTX was right after my husband passed away. It may have been their very 1st video posted on the internet. Little.Drummer Boy. Imagine beatboxing the drum to this classic Christmas song. I don't know exactly why, but it helped me through the worst of my grief. I listened over and over for weeks. Then, the next year, they posted Mary Did You Know. It still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. I hope you will consider reacting to them.
This is the song that made me fall in love with Kirstie's voice. If you enjoyed the cello, you may want to listen to their cover of "Radioactive." Lindsey Stirling plays violin while dancing, Kevin plays cello while beatboxing, Avi is the most devilishly hot he's been since "Love Again" ...an excellent collaboration. Really liking your reactions. Subbed for more PTX.
So, every member of this group has pasts that could have inspired disks worth of this song… and in this video you can FEEL it. Honestly, i wish we could have had an extended version created by them with each member having their time, or, versions for each main. But i agree, her voice was… perfect.
My all time favorite is La La Latch, with Avi Kaplin as the bass singer. Sound of Silence is my favorite with Matt as the bass singer. I hope you keep walking down the journey of PTX! There are hundreds to choose from..
One of the reasons Pentatonix is so special is how they always embody the emotions of the songs. Some of them have theater backgrounds, so that doesn’t hurt. Great reaction!
Now that you've seen the cello, you could react to Kevin's "celloboxing" (playing the cello and beatboxing). My personal favorite is his version of Bach's Prelude, but he has others. Also his solo stuff where he plays multiple instruments, sings, beatboxes and plays around with looping is truly amazing if you wanna check it out!
It is brutal picking a favorite, some pentaholics just dont even bother. luckily if you ever rank your favorites, you could seperate their works into covers, medleys, and originals. Actually, you might wanna give one of their medleys or originals a shot now. For medleys, I'd reccomend either "90's dance medley," or "Daft punk" (they won their first Grammy for this arrangment). for originals, i'd reccomend "Run to you", or "Sing" I hope this helps, and i look foward to seeing you go farther down the rabbit hole :) .
The always magical PTX. This song has always been one of my absolute favorites. Avi will always be my favorite and this song shows a small sample of what he's capable of. Not just another pretty bass. You really should try his solo music. Change on the Rise (first post PTX video) b/w video of I'm Only Getting Started or All is Well 7 layer sessions in an old church in the Netherlands with just Avi, his guitar and unbelievable acoustics. Please give him a chance. He deserves it. Thanks😅
Kirsty's facial expressions in this video sell it. IT looks like she is on the verge of tears throughout. And her voice so perfect. This is my favorite song where she takes the lead and is one of the best PTX songs ever. Clearly not enough views of this cover. IMHO
My favourite PTX song is the one I am/have just listened to, and changes when I listen to the next one - in ANY order! They just get better - again, in any order.
You will never be able to pick a favorite…it’s usually the one you are listening to at that moment. I suggest one of their mashups…La La Latch and New Rules/Are You That Somebody. Both amazing.
One of the unique things about this song was it was one of their first releases that excluded Mitch and Scott with any major league vocal roles. They all sing lead more frequently now, but for the first five years, Scott and Mitch were doing most of the leads.
In regards to a favorite Pentatonix song, many pentaholics, myself included, will tell you that their favorite Pentatonix song is the one they most recently heard.
I pick Hallelujah only bc it was the last song of their show, I was standing right by the stage, and it started to pour down rain in the middle of it. They continued to sing, and it was such an unearthly, spiritual moment that I will never forget.
The general consensus among Pentaholics is that your favorite sone is the most recent one you listened to. There is no other way to pick a favorite with them!
If you wanna hear more amazing cello - listen to The Piano Guys. They make all their noises using a piano, a cello and at times a kick drum. Their song “Berlin” is all cello. SO GOOD! ❤
Never apologize for rewinding and enjoying a portion of a song, or the whole song again!!! We love watching your face and anticipating your reaction to the next part we know so well since most of us have heard these songs and watched these videos hundreds of times. Now you could use an upbeat recommendation, like "Come Along" (a cover but soooo fun) or "Sing" which is an original!
The cello is an absolutely beautiful instrument. For more of Kevin "celloboxing" (yes, he's playing cello while beatboxing), check out the PTX cover of "Shallow". And if you want to hear more of how cool a cello can sound, check out some covers by "2Cellos". They do everything from classical, to soundtracks, to pop music, to heavy metal. My favorites include: "Thunderstruck" (AC/DC Cover): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uT3SBzmDxGk.html "With or Without You" (U2 Cover): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DbFao4M2_os.html (this is a live performance, skip to about 1:40 to get past the talking) "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion cover): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8lWXXHiQf6M.html "Benedictus": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-f_RjlIPuqyc.html
I always have trouble picking a favorite of anything, so I just have a collection of favorites for everything. Pentatonix is so good at what they do! I recommend their version of Imagine. I'm not usually someone who gets choked up, but their version of Imagine combined with the video is so simple, but so powerful, and I get choked up every time I watch it.
This is such a beautiful and haunting cover. An idea for someone else to react to would be Faouzia. Her stripped versions are fan favourites, with Tears of Gold or You Don’t Even Know Me being excellent starting a points (okay, personally I like so many of her songs it’s hard to pick a favourite. For a more melancholy and dark tone, Dig My Heart’s Grave is gorgeous too.)
You want to see a PTX music video with fantastic use of instruments? React to their cover of "Radioactive" (Imagine Dragons cover) with Lindsey Sterling playing violin and Kevin playing the cello. That one always blows me away!
I think most of us have problems picking our favorite PTX songs….many of us comment that our favorite one is the one we’re listening to at the time. Thanks for another excellent reaction.
I've always run into that issue about my favorite BUT my introduction to them was Hallelujah and because I was so hesitant to listen to it and then blown away by it, that one will always be close to my heart.
So you mention the emotion. So this was filmed after one of their concerts so they were completely exhausted hence the things you saw. They were completely exhausted and that energy or lack there of just spilled into the beautiful creation of this song. Mush love and keep on keepin on J.
I think it’s impossible to pick a favorite- everything they do is just perfect. I think they have perfect songs for a variety of moods. I think it’s safer just to pick a favorite of the day. If you want to hear more cool cello from KO, you need to listen to Radioactive, Shallow, and his solo work, Renegade and Kevin’s Fifth. For awesome Kirstie leads, Be My Eyes (original), Rather Be, Can You Feel the Love Tonight and My Favorite Things.
Yes that is a common thing with Pentatonix it's so hard to choose a favorite. I remember seeing them performed this live in 2014 and it was just incredible it sounded just like this recording and everybody in the audience was just had their breath taking away and goosebumps!
I gave up trying to pick a favorite years ago and I thoroughly enjoy everything that they perform. If you want to hear more songs where Kirstie is featured, try Shallow and Rather Be. Rather Be is a Clean Bandit cover and they feature a cello and violin in all of their songs. I'm now a fan of theirs too, thanks to the PTX cover.
Love your reactions, sir. I've watched your movie reactions for a while so i was so happy when you started music reactions. And THRILLED when you started with my favorite musical group, ptx. May I suggest "imagine", (must be with video!), "dance of sugar plum fairy" (grammy), "daft punk" official video first (grammy) and filmed in avis closet for like $600 or around that as that was their diy days, but then partake in the chaser daft punk private performance, no microphones or studio. All natural. And "can't hold us". Also question, I can't remember if you ever reacted to history videos. I think you have, like oversimplified and history of the entire world I guess by bill wurtz, fallen of ww2, and boatlift (last one be good to watch now as it's to do with heroism in 9/11. I love your reactions so just suggestions to branch out even more. Lol keep up the good work!
Ps, for cool you never knew a cello could do that, go to Kevins own page and watch his cover of Down, or any of his work there, KOver or his own compositions.
I've heard this song a thousand times and it still gives me chills. They don't do covers, they do upgrades. The video supposed to feel like a photograph, that's why they where so still. Great reaction!! You should react to Daft Punk, 90's Dance MEDLEY or Evolution of Music, those are sort of like mash ups. Come Along, Havana, Perfect and Creep are great upgrades. Sing, Happy Now, Run To You and Love Me When I Don't are great examples of their original songs. I haven't heard a Pentatonix song I don't like. Choosing a favorite is hard and something I can't do.
I have heard all of the PTX, Superfruit, Scott Hoying, Kirsten Maldonado .KO, Avi and Mitch Grasi /Messer solo stuff and my favorite track of all is a cover of a Calvin Harris/Florence Welsh track, Sweet Nothing. Kirstie sings lead the boys sing backup
This is one of those groups you really cannot rate or rank. They are an experience, you just let it envelop you and roll with it. On the cello comments, you watch Angel. The opening number starts with a cello. It's my favorite sound in a bow draw instrument and runs even with a piano for me.
This will always be one of my favourite PTX songs - I try not to rank them. I love the authentic Kirsty here. Singing from her heart in all her natural unsophisticated beauty. I know her voice has developed since this song but this is from her soul and just beautiful. 'Radioactive' should be on your list and any of Avi's solo work. I suggest you start with 'Change on the Rise', his first solo song after leaving PTX.
Love your insightful and emotive observations. If you’d like to see Kevin Olusola do something special, check out his cover of DOWN. Not to be missed. Thanks
I just went to go see them live 3 days ago! Awesome but it was way too short! Like you I have a hundred or more favorites which means any concert would be too short!
glad to see you join the Pentaholics in not being able to choose a favourite song, they all are our favourite, I luv Pentatonix, PTX, but here are a couple of other Acapella groups to check out Home Free, Voctave and Voice Play
I've never heard a Pentatonix (PTX) song I don't enjoy. They're amazing! I like their fun, kinda quirky ones, too (Cheerleader, Thrift Shop, Can't Hold Us and Sing). The term "Mitch Slapped" is when his voice is insane. My Mitch Slap came in Aha Singapore. Check into Shallow, the Royals, Little Drummer Boy, Imagine, Creep, Daft Punk and Perfect. Check out Kevin's Fifth and some of their original songs like Happy Now and Coffee in Bed.
I don't think that any Pentatonix fan would enjoy a ranking. Enjoy the music. Less irritation and stress for all. Thanks for reacting to this early Pentatonix video.
Kirstin's emotional lead on this song just tears me up every time I hear it. Definitely in my top 5 PTX videos of all time! This was not only your first PTX reaction video with Kevin cello-boxing (playing the cello while beatboxing - the man is unbelievable!), but it was also the first PTX video where Kevin was cello-boxing. Total synchronicity!
