Kevin is a Renaissance man - cello, sax, drum, piano; incredible beatboxer, tenor, Yale graduate pre-med, multi-lingual in Mandarin, English, some Spanish. husband, and father.
He also has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall, once with the cello and once playing saxophone. He created cello boxing (playing the cello while beatboxing). To see Kevin show off some of his talents, watch his cover (kover) of Down by Marian Hill.
Basic PTX info: 1- Scott, Mitch and Kirstie have been performing/singing together since they were 8 2- while at college in CA Scott calls Mitch and Kirstie to come join him to try out for an a cappella show called The Sing-Off 3- They find out the week of auditions they must have at least 5 in their group 4- The have a friend who recommends Avi [trained for and studied opera] and then they find Kevin [who is a world-class cellist, performed at Carnegie Hall as a teen, also post-grad Yale med student and speaks fluent Mandarin plus many other talents] 5- They meet up THE DAY BEFORE THE AUDITION and put together their audition song...yes, you heard me THE FRIGGING DAY BEFORE 6- They advance to the show and kick Aca ass the whole season and win and yes, there is NO ONE like PTX
A lot of this is PTX folklore. Scott and Kirstie didn't meet until Jr High, although they both knew Mitch earlier. They were told by Ben that they needed 5 voices weeks before the audition. Scott called Kevin after seeing his video and asked him to join them, and he got Avi's name through other singers he knew. Scott sent Kevin and Avi a video of the Trio singing Telephone a few weeks prior to the audition, and they worked on their parts for a few weeks before they met. They met, and that's where the magic happened, because it all came together, and sounded great!
Kevin beatboxing while playing cello is amazing. His own song Renegade is breathtaking Pentatonix has another song with Lindsey. Over the river. They released it this christmas. The estetics in the video is... Wow...
"The recording of Evergreen" Pentatonix shows their process. If you want a genre change try Pentatonix and Dolly Parton doing her song, "Jolene" which they won a Grammy for. Pure country music sound.
I remember seeing a "Behind the Scenes " video of the making of this video many years ago: th-cam.com/video/2do2V8lJjN8/w-d-xo.html. Hope the link works!! BTW...Kevin beatboxes while playing the cello, so watch carefully for that. he calls it Celloboxing.
I couldn't wait for another PTX reaction from you and now for the next one.... I love honest people who really appreciate the art of these six lovely, funny, down to earth and talented people. Since your brother likes Lindsey Sterling, there are two other collaborations with her: - "Papaoutai" (2014, Stromae cover, they sing in French), perhaps you want to check out the French original first, so you can see the context of the videos - "Over The River" (2021, an old nursery rhyme, although I recommend listening to their "The Recording Of Evergreen" first so you can better recognize the different parts afterwards, it lasts 17:09 min, which is worth it. For your own pleasure, the children's version is also available for comparison. Sometimes they use instruments, but you can see them: - Kevin Olusola (KO, KOver, Triptyq - Tenor): beatboxing, cello, saxophone, piano - Scott Hoying (Superfruit, Solo, collabs - Baritone): Piano, keyboards, synthesizer - Mitch Grassi (Superfruit, solo - Tenor): piano, keyboards, synthesizer - Matt Sallee (Berklee, The House Jacks - Current bass): piano, drums - Kirstin Maldonado (Solo, collabs - Mezzo-soprano): "Only" her wonderful voice - Avi Kaplan (solo, collabs - Former bass): piano, guitar, mandolin, ... If you keep at it, you will be able to see their evolution in terms of their voices, their arrangements, as well as their technical and financial capabilities over the course of these ten years. Back in 2011, at such a young age, they were literally the pioneers of modern a cappella. They were the only ones who paved the way for everyone else after winning the sing-offs without a promised record deal and are constantly reinventing themselves. They are also great songwriters and perfect companions for other artists (Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, Tori Kelly, Jason Derulo, Brian Justin Crum, Mario Jose, Mary Lambert, Rozzi, Frankie, Shoshana Bean, with orchesters at Wicked and Starwars Tribute, Toddrick Hall, Allessia Cara, Jon Batiste (Diane Warren), Maren Morris, Ateez, Little Glee Monsters, Amber Liu, .... They also sing some songs in different languages. Their PTX originals, as well as Superfruit Future Friends, are IMO both lyrically and melodically brilliant. Most of them are without videos but gems to listen to. Also it is easier for you with only visualizers. Their "Popspring 2016" performance has three originals (Scott in Cracked, Mitch is a stunner, most notably in Can't Sleep Love and Kirstie in Water) and the evolution of Michael Jackson. It lasts 14:58 min, which is worth it. Superfruit is Scott and Mitch with great music and fun vlogs, also featuring Kirstie and other great artists. After their "Subscribe" there are usually bloopers. Their solos and collabs with others are also worth seeing. Live they are a phenomenon. There are many relatively good videos from the audience. They sometimes vary the songs on stage or perform some only on stage. At AHA/Singapore Kevin is back on stage after the opening. He just took away his cello for a moment. Mitch will blow your mind. Also we don't mind if you react to some of their Christmas songs during the year, Christmas under the Stars ByuTV and at the Ellen Show, ... are live. Excuse my English and the long text, but I haven't really written for too long although I subscribed immediately after your first reaction to them and now it's imperative that I get it out. In any case, welcome to the Pentaholic community. I hope you will stay with us like a few other reactors 🤗.
When ever they collaborate with Lindsy Sterling, Kevin will also play his Cello. There is at least one other video that I can remember, that has Lindsey in, and it will also blow your mind. Called "Papaoutai". I strongly second the recommendation to watch there Sing Off season 3 performances, to really learn their backstory. They literally formed Pentatonix for this show. Scott, Mitch, and Kirsty, have been together since highschool. They needed 5 people to go on The Sing Off. Formed Pentatonix days before the audition.
@@GOTGames When you react to Papoutai, you might want to also watch the original, extremely popular video from a French singer named Stromae (almost 900 million views!) The song is sung in French by Pentatonix, and it is incredible.
I love that album. Lindsey is my happy music💕💕💕, but my absolute favorite has to be Master of Tides. That was an amazing video her skills are beyond compare in my opinion!
If you watch their performances on The Sing Off in order (mrduckbear has good ones) then you will get glimpses into their origin story and early evolution--it's so cool to see how good they were right out of the gate and how quickly they gelled together and improved! Plus Pentaholics love to follow reactors watching PTX's Sing Off journey. 😊
honestly, if you do the sing off, also do the group performances, and check out some of the other groups. A lot of the other groups are good to listen to as well.
@@GOTGames actually, should just binge watch the sing off series offline. Full immersion, and listening to the judge comments is half the fun. And you’ll never forget their names afterwords as a bonus Still going their your videos , but if haven’t done voice play ( the last of the big 3) … do oogie boogie song please
Good to watch someone having fun at their job as you are. Good reaction! Lindsey started out with the violin, trained classically since age six. She didn't start dancing seriously until age 23, using TH-cam videos to teach herself. No real formal dance training until doing DWTS with Mark Ballas a couple of years ago. Her wonderful dancing and playing are only the tip of the iceberg. She's a prolific and talented writer. She arranges, produces, and directs most, and edits ALL of her videos. Serves as creative director of her tours coordinating costumes, set, choreography, wardrobe and all the other details. As one major newspaper concert reviewer said, "Paul McCartney aside, and he's a freaking Beatle, Lindsey Stirling may be the best performer...ever.". I doubt we'll ever seen another like her.
Their performance of ET on The Sing Off is legendary both because it's so well performed and also because it's what introduced them to the world. Called them to win 30 seconds in and said "they're gonna be around forever". They did win, and I stand by the other half of the statement still today.
They did AMAZING on this cover!! They also collaborated with Lindsay on Papaoutai and Over the River, and Kevin always plays his cello with her violin. I believe there's a behind the scenes video for Radioactive!
Remembering back to your first PTX reaction to Hallelujah, you commented that you were kind of expecting them to sound like Imagine Dragons. Well, most Pentaholics know they are never just doing covers, most of the time they tend to do upgrades. This collab for many of us is like worlds colliding. With an already great Imagine Dragons song then you stir in Lindsey Stirling with Pentatonix and you get an explosive Eargasm!. Loved your reaction as always.
This was the first song I ever heard by them and to say it blew my mind is an understatement. I was couch surfing in Pennsylvania at the time and my host had a cochlear implant (meaning he was deaf without it on). He knew most of their songs by vibration ALONE and was also a great musician himself. A kind human, making a fan out of me instantly of all the aforementioned.
Pentatonix has also recorded a great song with Linsey Stirling called Over the River, you really have to check that one, really cool. And they also made a 90's medley,you will be stunned (this one is only ptx). Great to see your reactions💪
Kevin uses his cello as an additional voice in their songs pretty much whenever he plays. Check out Say Something, Dancing on My Own (recorded right after Avi left the group, and you can tell _exactly_ how they felt about that), and Shallow.
It is astounding how perfectly they execute these improbable combinations. There's more to come. Maybe you should do a couple of their "regular" pop song covers like Say Something, Havana or Shallow. Then try another Lindsey Stirling collab - Papaoutai. It's a trip! Then maybe some fantasy work, like Come Along. It is really hard to pick, so tell us what sort of style or mood you are in. For example, if you really like EDM and loved their Daft Punk medley, then their Love Again original EDM (cybergoth!) would be a lot of fun. Then again, you haven't tried their grammy winning Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy yet, but that might be best around Christmas if you like to keep to seasonal themes. Oh, just for fun on the side, Lindsey Stirling also did a Hallelujah cover and some fan had the crazy idea to sync and mix it with the Pentatonix cover. It's not an official release, just fan work, but done very well : th-cam.com/video/aKeTq5nc8eE/w-d-xo.html . Great idea and work from Hana Hanakai!
Kevin Olusola (the beatboxer) is a Yale University classically trained cellist (tho his major was pre-med). In fact, Scott "found" Kevin's April 2011 recording of Julie-O on TH-cam [ I couldn''t find the original, but this is same performance recorded ~ year latter - th-cam.com/video/37kDLZonLMk/w-d-xo.html ] and Scott knew immediately, he had found the fifth and final (beatboxer) piece for Pentatonix only a week or 10 days before they appeared on the Sing-Off competition show. And the 'rest' as they say, 'is history!' Regarding Kevin's control and tone from the cello, I am backing up those folks who have suggested reacting to 'Say Something.' I recall it as the first completely Kirsty-as-lead vocal commercial project, but Kevin's celloboxing absolutely shines on that video.
I think we love your enthusiasm. Yes you have not begun to climb. They give you so many different ways of hearing them. Can't wait to hear your future reactions. Havana, Imagine, you have only scratched the surface. You will have a good amount of followers. keep going!!!!
It's your pure joy and amazement that keeps me checking out your videos. As you have already figured out, no matter what song you choose, you won't find a bad one when it comes to PTX. Keep enjoying the journey and keep the great reactions coming.
Wanted to add - absolute Pentaholic here. Just love there music. Such amazing talent, and from what I have seen, very unassuming. Also love your genuine reaction to there songs. Such a pleasure to watch.
What you said about them being these odd puzzle pieces that fit seamlessly and produce absolute magic is so right on. I adore your spirit and your enthusiasm for music and especially for Pentatonix. I'm having the worst day and your reaction and words are a balm to the spirit. Be well friend! ✌️
So glad to see this. "Radioactive" is my honorary favorite Pentatonix song. Stirling is the reason I know Pentatonix. This is near 10 years old. Unbelievable.
Absolutely LOVE your reactions!!! Music has always been a part of my life, all kinds and I still enjoy listening to it. Then I came across Pentatonix and my world changed. I went from just listening to music to being EXCITED about music!! You never know what they will come up with, but one thing you do know is it will be fantastic!! They arrange songs like no other and each song builds to a climax and ends in "calm". I am still exploring their music and finding most their original songs are just as great. They have a talent beyond belief and I can't wait to see what's yet to come!!
Say Something is another PTX video where Kevin plays cello and beatboxes at the same time ("cello-boxing"). When the song starts, I thought at first that Kevin was playing the cello already, but he was plucking the cello, and it was Avi singing the bass part that was almost mimicking the sound of the cello being played.
Kevin can do basically everything: rap, beat box, play a bunch of instruments and sing. Oh, and Lindsey does another song with them called "Papaoutai". It's one of my favorites.
I seem to have commented on a few things today. I just saw something on my recommended list in TH-cam that put tears in my eyes. A 4 chair turn on The Voice Norway, Jorgen Dahl Moe's take on Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark". Absolutely lovely and moving!
I was really hoping that you'd put up another Pentatonix reaction video soon and here it was today! I totally enjoy how much you enjoy watching Pentatonix videos and I can't wait to go on that next video journey with you. Pentatonix are my favorite rabbit hole ;-)
This is how I was introduced to Pentatonix. I was playing the Defiance MMO and "Radioactive" was used in one of its promo videos. I was looking for the original video and came across the Pentatonix video instead. I fell in love immediately.
The term "Cello Boxing" was coined for Kevin because he of course can beat box and play cello. If you really want to see his full talent check out Kevin Olusola "Down" cover by Marian Hill.
Your enthusiasm is awesome, thanks for another great reaction! Them together with Lindsey is a match made in heaven, all their collabs are fantastic.. please put Problem and Imagine on your to-do-list!
Lindsay Sterling and Pentatonix collaborated on "Papaoutai" also if you want another one with her. It's definitely a different vibe from this one though.
If you are enjoying Pentatonix and other A Capella stuff you might enjoy Voctave. There is a Disney medley with Kirsten from Pentatonix, an amazing Disney Princess medley, and a movie theme medley.
I just saw Voctave LIVEa few weeks ago and they are exactly as awesome as rhey are on recordings. (Check out their Great Movie Medley and Prince of Egypt medley)
Fun reaction as usual! The Recording of Evergreen would be a fun watch...but be careful of the Beginners Guide to Pentatonix as it basically goes through music video clips...big spoilers. There is also many years worth of PTXperience videos which are BTS of their tours (most recent 2021 Evergreen Christmas Tour) Plus many of their videos have separate BTS videos as well! Hope you pick something to watch 🥰
Radioactive was my “entry drug” to PTX and I’ve been a fan since, never turning back. Their Sing Off performances are fun and fresh but All of their music is to die for.
Lindsey she's an amazing violinist, i'm a big fan of hers it's really worth reacting to her songs. I suggest the songs "SHATTER ME" ft. Lzzy Halle and "ROUNDTABLE RIVAL".
"Shatter Me" YES!!! "Roundtable Revival" and "Master of Tides" are also excellent. Really, eveything Lindsey Stirling does is amazing. Not necessarily music-related, but she was on Dancing With the Stars - you should watch that some time, as well. Mark Ballas choreographed routines for them to a couple of Lindsey's songs, and he and Derek Hough appear in a couple of her music videos (th-cam.com/video/b50Gb3bPNI8/w-d-xo.html, th-cam.com/video/4MCjU-Du3eI/w-d-xo.html, and th-cam.com/video/ByxG3twGius/w-d-xo.html)
Interesting note. When Pentatonix was first formed, it was Mitch, Scott, and Kirsten. They found Avi through friends, but Kevin, they saw a video of him on You Tube beat boxing with his cello. That's what inspired them to bring him into the group. Oh, and they met, for the first time, I think it was 6 weeks before the competition started. The rest, they say, is history. On a side note... you think Lindsey Stirling was good here? It's a completely different type of reactions, but you should watch her videos from when she was on Dancing with the Stars! Her last dance, where you see her dancing with her violin, will BLOW YOU AWAY!
I was actually following Lindsey Stirling first and discovered Pentatonix through this song. Still one of my favorites and still gives me goosebumps! I'm sure it's been mentioned several times but try to check out Kevin's cover of Down. Amazing musical example of his genius!
I'm dying for you to hear Imagine by PTX. It's nothing short of perfection. The message of the song, their visual presentation on it, and the vocal arrangement. I do not have enough words for that one.
Kevin is a Classically trained cellist. He is known for Cello boxing. He also dropped out of Pre Med at Yale to pursue music. And he speaks fluent Mandarin.
Awesome cover and reaction. Lindsay also plays on their Evergreen Christmas album 2021 to their song "Over the River". Im sure youll enjoy it and your brother too😉
Boy are you in for a treat!!! You just have to react to Kevin’s cover of Down, it’s live and it’s mind blowing 🤯. It’s criminal that one man has SO much talent!!! PS. Kevin invented the term Chelloboxing.
This song has such an odd 6 degrees of kevin bacon-esq history with me. Where basically, Ponies got me into pentatonix. let me explain. So i was and still am big into the pony fandom. and there was a character with no lines who appeared very briefly in an ep who was seen playing the cello. Fans called her Octavia and started making stories and fan works related to her. one of the surprising bits was the creation of fan music for her. mostly orchestral music focusing heavily on cello, all dedicated to her (with one notable exception being a cover/parody of Titanium, called Octavia by elimonty). I was at a friends house and we were going through youtube vids, I was showing him some of the Octavia fan music and videos people had made. In the recommendations was kevin's famous cello beatboxing video (the one i learned later was what got him into pentatonix). we watched that and loved it. in the recommendations for that video was a lindsey stirling video we hadn't seen yet, (i forget which). and in the recs for that was this video. we were both fans of her, and knew OF pentatonix but hadn't seen anything from them. so we watched it and was surprised to see the SAME GUY in the video. pretty much been a fan of theirs ever since.
If you wanna look at how they made some of their songs on a certain album check out “The recording of evergreen” by Pentatonix. Their are some clips of their songs in there ofc and you haven’t heard those ones yet so those can be sneak peeks to you or you can wait until you’ve heard them.
Love your enthusiasm / appreciation! IMHO PTX does not disappoint, either in their upgrades (covers) or their originals. For an example of an original, you should try Love Again. Kevin is particularly impresssive
I love the Power Rangers analogy! Kevin has his own channel chock full of magically creative music, Scott & Mitch formed Superfruit (loads of music and skits and musical skits, etc) ..this rabbit hole has fabulous tributaries to travel and love
You want to know if there any more amazing singers, groups, etc. Of course! There are just thousands, all different. It's lovely watching you from another Pentoholic.
There was a behind the scenes for Radioactive - but for general background (with some spoilers) check out you tube post "Beginners Guide to Pentatonix" by Pentaholic
I love this cover so much; it's a perfect blend of PTX and Lindsey Stirling's styles and skills and they really elevate the song (even though I too love the original.) For a music rec of a band that's very well known but you may have missed, have you listened to anything by Chvrches? They have a lot of great stuff, but for uniqueness and musical style along with an interesting video, I'd suggest Clearest Blue. The way the song is put together is really unusual, and it just builds and builds and it's a whole experience (and then if you like Chvrches, they have tons of other stuff to check out too.)
There's a behind the scenes video for this actual video. Then there's behind the scenes for: Bohemian Rhapsody, Can't Hold Us, I Just Called to Say I Love You, New Rules x Are You That Somebody, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Perfect, Waving Through the Window, Attention, The Prayer, Making Christmas, Havana, You're a Mean One Mr Grinch, Sweater Weather, Evolution of Beyonce, and you'll see a TON of behind the scenes for most of their tours if you look at the PTXperience videos.
You have the greatest hair!! Lol ... keep the hat off 😆 PTX is incredible. Each solo ... together ... just pure talent. Glad you found them and so glad I can experience them all over again with you.
I suggest one of their very first youtube viral recordings, Somebody That I Used to Know, as well as Can You Feel the Love Tonight?. Also some of their originals would be fun- Happy Now, Be My Eyes, Love Again and/or Coffee in Bed.
Kevin was the featured soloist on the cello at Carnegie Hall. He also was the featured soloist another time on the saxophone at Carnegie Hall. He did this while he was going to med school. He ended up studying in China for a couple of years and is fluent in Mandarin.
Faouzia is another extraordinary artist. Her voice is something special. She's a Moroccan artist who puts a nice spin to her music that's reminiscent of where she comes from (she has Arabic roots). You could start by checking out her original song, "Tears of Gold", the stripped version coz that one's live and different from the studio version, but is still super awesome. You'd definitely love her voice ✨
Usually in these kind of groups, all together they are a whole but every member is a complete whole. They also love seeing each other shine!!! Check out The Sing-Off…. That’s their debut
I still remember seeing them on their first TV appearance on season 3 of Sing Off 10 years ago and new they where gonna take acapella to a whole new level
My favorite pentatonix and Lindsey Sterling collaboration is their French cover called "papaoutai" that's one of my favorite ptx covers. The video is amazing!! ❤️🙏🏾
You never fail to make me smile. There is a behind the scenes for this video. There did make a documentary back in their early years. Also, you can look up PTXperience videos (there are older ones and newer ones) I also love the way they all harmonize specifically with the violin and cello. Thanks for this reaction.
![THIS WAS WAY BETTER THEN I EXPECTED ! - RADIOACTIVE - PENTATONIX & LINDSEY STIRLING [REACTION] REACT](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yE3p_AFdYj4/mqdefault.jpg)
Kevin is a Renaissance man - cello, sax, drum, piano; incredible beatboxer, tenor, Yale graduate pre-med, multi-lingual in Mandarin, English, some Spanish. husband, and father.
And he has arranged several of their songs and co wrote a few!
He also has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall, once with the cello and once playing saxophone. He created cello boxing (playing the cello while beatboxing). To see Kevin show off some of his talents, watch his cover (kover) of Down by Marian Hill.
FATHER???? THE HELL DID I MISS
@@OutroBusan yes, he has a daughter, Kaia ☺️
I think all I can say to that is wow! ❤️
Basic PTX info:
1- Scott, Mitch and Kirstie have been performing/singing together since they were 8
2- while at college in CA Scott calls Mitch and Kirstie to come join him to try out for an a cappella show called The Sing-Off
3- They find out the week of auditions they must have at least 5 in their group
4- The have a friend who recommends Avi [trained for and studied opera] and then they find Kevin [who is a world-class cellist, performed at Carnegie Hall as a teen, also post-grad Yale med student and speaks fluent Mandarin plus many other talents]
5- They meet up THE DAY BEFORE THE AUDITION and put together their audition song...yes, you heard me THE FRIGGING DAY BEFORE
6- They advance to the show and kick Aca ass the whole season and win
and yes, there is NO ONE like PTX
A lot of this is PTX folklore. Scott and Kirstie didn't meet until Jr High, although they both knew Mitch earlier. They were told by Ben that they needed 5 voices weeks before the audition. Scott called Kevin after seeing his video and asked him to join them, and he got Avi's name through other singers he knew. Scott sent Kevin and Avi a video of the Trio singing Telephone a few weeks prior to the audition, and they worked on their parts for a few weeks before they met. They met, and that's where the magic happened, because it all came together, and sounded great!
Kevin beatboxing while playing cello is amazing. His own song Renegade is breathtaking
Pentatonix has another song with Lindsey. Over the river. They released it this christmas. The estetics in the video is... Wow...
They also did Papaoutai with her!
it's April and I still watch OtR all the time
There is at least 3 collaborations with Lindsey
Yeah?? Wow definitely check those out!! ❤️
Yeah, I tried to beatbox while playing my trombone. Didn't work out well, and sounded like a very sick cow.
"The recording of Evergreen" Pentatonix shows their process. If you want a genre change try Pentatonix and Dolly Parton doing her song, "Jolene" which they won a Grammy for. Pure country music sound.
Thanks for this!!!
Definitely checking that out! ❤️
Here is the link the “Recording of the Evergreen Album”. th-cam.com/video/M60SKKkQLqo/w-d-xo.html
I have to catch up on pentatonix I'm so behind they have really exploded since I first seen Bohemian Rapsody.
This was just awesome!!! ❤️
th-cam.com/video/IGjg193h4Ok/w-d-xo.html. More from Kevin...
I remember seeing a "Behind the Scenes " video of the making of this video many years ago: th-cam.com/video/2do2V8lJjN8/w-d-xo.html. Hope the link works!! BTW...Kevin beatboxes while playing the cello, so watch carefully for that. he calls it Celloboxing.
I couldn't wait for another PTX reaction from you and now for the next one.... I love honest people who really appreciate the art of these six lovely, funny, down to earth and talented people.
Since your brother likes Lindsey Sterling, there are two other collaborations with her:
- "Papaoutai" (2014, Stromae cover, they sing in French), perhaps you want to check out the French original first, so you can see the context of the videos
- "Over The River" (2021, an old nursery rhyme, although I recommend listening to their "The Recording Of Evergreen" first so you can better recognize the different parts afterwards, it lasts 17:09 min, which is worth it. For your own pleasure, the children's version is also available for comparison.
Sometimes they use instruments, but you can see them:
- Kevin Olusola (KO, KOver, Triptyq - Tenor): beatboxing, cello, saxophone, piano
- Scott Hoying (Superfruit, Solo, collabs - Baritone): Piano, keyboards, synthesizer
- Mitch Grassi (Superfruit, solo - Tenor): piano, keyboards, synthesizer
- Matt Sallee (Berklee, The House Jacks - Current bass): piano, drums
- Kirstin Maldonado (Solo, collabs - Mezzo-soprano): "Only" her wonderful voice
- Avi Kaplan (solo, collabs - Former bass): piano, guitar, mandolin, ...
If you keep at it, you will be able to see their evolution in terms of their voices, their arrangements, as well as their technical and financial capabilities over the course of these ten years.
Back in 2011, at such a young age, they were literally the pioneers of modern a cappella. They were the only ones who paved the way for everyone else after winning the sing-offs without a promised record deal and are constantly reinventing themselves.
They are also great songwriters and perfect companions for other artists (Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, Tori Kelly, Jason Derulo, Brian Justin Crum, Mario Jose, Mary Lambert, Rozzi, Frankie, Shoshana Bean, with orchesters at Wicked and Starwars Tribute, Toddrick Hall, Allessia Cara, Jon Batiste (Diane Warren), Maren Morris, Ateez, Little Glee Monsters, Amber Liu, ....
They also sing some songs in different languages.
Their PTX originals, as well as Superfruit Future Friends, are IMO both lyrically and melodically brilliant. Most of them are without videos but gems to listen to. Also it is easier for you with only visualizers.
Their "Popspring 2016" performance has three originals (Scott in Cracked, Mitch is a stunner, most notably in Can't Sleep Love and Kirstie in Water) and the evolution of Michael Jackson. It lasts 14:58 min, which is worth it.
Superfruit is Scott and Mitch with great music and fun vlogs, also featuring Kirstie and other great artists. After their "Subscribe" there are usually bloopers.
Their solos and collabs with others are also worth seeing.
Live they are a phenomenon. There are many relatively good videos from the audience. They sometimes vary the songs on stage or perform some only on stage. At AHA/Singapore Kevin is back on stage after the opening. He just took away his cello for a moment. Mitch will blow your mind.
Also we don't mind if you react to some of their Christmas songs during the year, Christmas under the Stars ByuTV and at the Ellen Show, ... are live.
Excuse my English and the long text, but I haven't really written for too long although I subscribed immediately after your first reaction to them and now it's imperative that I get it out.
In any case, welcome to the Pentaholic community. I hope you will stay with us like a few other reactors 🤗.
This song was my intro to Pentatonix, through my admiration for Lindsey Sterling! Perfection!
When ever they collaborate with Lindsy Sterling, Kevin will also play his Cello. There is at least one other video that I can remember, that has Lindsey in, and it will also blow your mind. Called "Papaoutai". I strongly second the recommendation to watch there Sing Off season 3 performances, to really learn their backstory. They literally formed Pentatonix for this show. Scott, Mitch, and Kirsty, have been together since highschool. They needed 5 people to go on The Sing Off. Formed Pentatonix days before the audition.
They also collaborate with her on Over the River and it is fantastic!
Okay! More than happy to check those out too ❤️
@@GOTGames When you react to Papoutai, you might want to also watch the original, extremely popular video from a French singer named Stromae (almost 900 million views!) The song is sung in French by Pentatonix, and it is incredible.
Lindsey's actually still very active. Her "Artemis" album was pretty amazing.
I love that album. Lindsey is my happy music💕💕💕, but my absolute favorite has to be Master of Tides. That was an amazing video her skills are beyond compare in my opinion!
Will have to check that out
Cello-boxing at its finest! LOVE your reactions-get esp excited when it’s PTX! Their recent Lindsey Stirling collab, Over the River, is fantastic.❤️
I was going to mention that one as well, definitely one to check out for a joint Lindsey-PTX fan!
Yessss!
Definitely will be checking that out! ❤️
If you watch their performances on The Sing Off in order (mrduckbear has good ones) then you will get glimpses into their origin story and early evolution--it's so cool to see how good they were right out of the gate and how quickly they gelled together and improved! Plus Pentaholics love to follow reactors watching PTX's Sing Off journey. 😊
honestly, if you do the sing off, also do the group performances, and check out some of the other groups. A lot of the other groups are good to listen to as well.
Okay happy to ❤️
@@GOTGames actually, should just binge watch the sing off series offline. Full immersion, and listening to the judge comments is half the fun. And you’ll never forget their names afterwords as a bonus
Still going their your videos , but if haven’t done voice play ( the last of the big 3) … do oogie boogie song please
I was going to suggest their Sing Off Performances in order. They were incredible then, but now…
My favorite collaboration of theirs with Lindsey is Papaoutai.
This one and Papoutai are tied for my favorites. Over the River is a bit choppy for me, but a lot of folks liked it.
You have to check out Kevin Olusola (PTX’s beatboxer) cover of Down. He does it all in that video by himself.
❤YES!!!❤
Yes! All of this!!
Absolutely 💯
Yes please! ♥️ Love you and your reactions!
Good to watch someone having fun at their job as you are. Good reaction!
Lindsey started out with the violin, trained classically since age six. She didn't start dancing seriously until age 23, using TH-cam videos to teach herself. No real formal dance training until doing DWTS with Mark Ballas a couple of years ago.
Her wonderful dancing and playing are only the tip of the iceberg. She's a prolific and talented writer. She arranges, produces, and directs most, and edits ALL of her videos. Serves as creative director of her tours coordinating costumes, set, choreography, wardrobe and all the other details.
As one major newspaper concert reviewer said, "Paul McCartney aside, and he's a freaking Beatle, Lindsey Stirling may be the best performer...ever.".
I doubt we'll ever seen another like her.
Their performance of ET on The Sing Off is legendary both because it's so well performed and also because it's what introduced them to the world. Called them to win 30 seconds in and said "they're gonna be around forever". They did win, and I stand by the other half of the statement still today.
They did AMAZING on this cover!! They also collaborated with Lindsay on Papaoutai and Over the River, and Kevin always plays his cello with her violin. I believe there's a behind the scenes video for Radioactive!
Remembering back to your first PTX reaction to Hallelujah, you commented that you were kind of expecting them to sound like Imagine Dragons. Well, most Pentaholics know they are never just doing covers, most of the time they tend to do upgrades. This collab for many of us is like worlds colliding. With an already great Imagine Dragons song then you stir in Lindsey Stirling with Pentatonix and you get an explosive Eargasm!. Loved your reaction as always.
This was the first song I ever heard by them and to say it blew my mind is an understatement. I was couch surfing in Pennsylvania at the time and my host had a cochlear implant (meaning he was deaf without it on). He knew most of their songs by vibration ALONE and was also a great musician himself. A kind human, making a fan out of me instantly of all the aforementioned.
Pentatonix has also recorded a great song with Linsey Stirling called Over the River, you really have to check that one, really cool. And they also made a 90's medley,you will be stunned (this one is only ptx). Great to see your reactions💪
Pentatonix and Lindsey collaborate on another called "Over the river"
And they did Papahoti (definitely butchered the spelling) together.
It’s amazing, makes me feel like I’m going on a quest 😍
How beautifully this song integrates instruments with their voice instruments. Simply perfection!
Kevin uses his cello as an additional voice in their songs pretty much whenever he plays. Check out Say Something, Dancing on My Own (recorded right after Avi left the group, and you can tell _exactly_ how they felt about that), and Shallow.
Your sheer joy is so wonderful! Here for the Pentatonix ride!
It is astounding how perfectly they execute these improbable combinations. There's more to come.
Maybe you should do a couple of their "regular" pop song covers like Say Something, Havana or Shallow. Then try another Lindsey Stirling collab - Papaoutai. It's a trip! Then maybe some fantasy work, like Come Along. It is really hard to pick, so tell us what sort of style or mood you are in. For example, if you really like EDM and loved their Daft Punk medley, then their Love Again original EDM (cybergoth!) would be a lot of fun. Then again, you haven't tried their grammy winning Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy yet, but that might be best around Christmas if you like to keep to seasonal themes.
Oh, just for fun on the side, Lindsey Stirling also did a Hallelujah cover and some fan had the crazy idea to sync and mix it with the Pentatonix cover. It's not an official release, just fan work, but done very well : th-cam.com/video/aKeTq5nc8eE/w-d-xo.html .
Great idea and work from Hana Hanakai!
Wow!! The rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper! ❤️
Oh man, you should totally check out Kevin's solo cover of Marian Hill's song Down and be prepared to be amazed at how amazingly talented he is
Yeah!!!! This is the song that introduced me to Pentatonix!!!! I'd been following Lindsey for about a year - and saw this. Mind blown!
Kevin Olusola (the beatboxer) is a Yale University classically trained cellist (tho his major was pre-med). In fact, Scott "found" Kevin's April 2011 recording of Julie-O on TH-cam [ I couldn''t find the original, but this is same performance recorded ~ year latter - th-cam.com/video/37kDLZonLMk/w-d-xo.html ] and Scott knew immediately, he had found the fifth and final (beatboxer) piece for Pentatonix only a week or 10 days before they appeared on the Sing-Off competition show. And the 'rest' as they say, 'is history!' Regarding Kevin's control and tone from the cello, I am backing up those folks who have suggested reacting to 'Say Something.' I recall it as the first completely Kirsty-as-lead vocal commercial project, but Kevin's celloboxing absolutely shines on that video.
They collabed again with Lindsey Stirling for "Over the River" on their newest Christmas album, "Evergreen" - that's also well worth a watch!
I love love love your interactions with Pentatonix. Thank you for every second!
They started this journey on the TV show The Sing Off. They have all of Pentatonix performances on TH-cam. It's fun to see how far they've come!
Omg I always forget how incredible this one is. And your smile is infectious as always ❤
And yes say something is a absolute must
I think we love your enthusiasm. Yes you have not begun to climb. They give you so many different ways of hearing them. Can't wait to hear your future reactions. Havana, Imagine, you have only scratched the surface. You will have a good amount of followers. keep going!!!!
It's your pure joy and amazement that keeps me checking out your videos. As you have already figured out, no matter what song you choose, you won't find a bad one when it comes to PTX. Keep enjoying the journey and keep the great reactions coming.
They have six Christmas albums ! :) You can't go wrong ! One of their Grammy's is from Tchaikovsky's "Dance Of The Sugar Fairy" - It's incredible !
Wanted to add - absolute Pentaholic here. Just love there music. Such amazing talent, and from what I have seen, very unassuming. Also love your genuine reaction to there songs. Such a pleasure to watch.
What you said about them being these odd puzzle pieces that fit seamlessly and produce absolute magic is so right on. I adore your spirit and your enthusiasm for music and especially for Pentatonix. I'm having the worst day and your reaction and words are a balm to the spirit. Be well friend! ✌️
Saw Lindsey in concert. Absolutely loved it!
So glad to see this. "Radioactive" is my honorary favorite Pentatonix song. Stirling is the reason I know Pentatonix. This is near 10 years old. Unbelievable.
Absolutely LOVE your reactions!!! Music has always been a part of my life, all kinds and I still enjoy listening to it. Then I came across Pentatonix and my world changed. I went from just listening to music to being EXCITED about music!! You never know what they will come up with, but one thing you do know is it will be fantastic!! They arrange songs like no other and each song builds to a climax and ends in "calm". I am still exploring their music and finding most their original songs are just as great. They have a talent beyond belief and I can't wait to see what's yet to come!!
Say Something is another PTX video where Kevin plays cello and beatboxes at the same time ("cello-boxing"). When the song starts, I thought at first that Kevin was playing the cello already, but he was plucking the cello, and it was Avi singing the bass part that was almost mimicking the sound of the cello being played.
Kevin can do basically everything: rap, beat box, play a bunch of instruments and sing.
Oh, and Lindsey does another song with them called "Papaoutai". It's one of my favorites.
Absolutely ❤️🔥❤️🔥 your PTX reactions!!
Much love from Louisiana 🇺🇸
I seem to have commented on a few things today. I just saw something on my recommended list in TH-cam that put tears in my eyes. A 4 chair turn on The Voice Norway, Jorgen Dahl Moe's take on Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark". Absolutely lovely and moving!
Lindsey Stiriling is my Celebrity crush too. Her music has led me to so many others. She is amazing.
I am 74...and I love you! I love your upbeat reactions. Love your energy.
You mentioned behind the scenes videos , there is a great one for this video. Shows what great people they are and the fun they have together.
I was really hoping that you'd put up another Pentatonix reaction video soon and here it was today! I totally enjoy how much you enjoy watching Pentatonix videos and I can't wait to go on that next video journey with you. Pentatonix are my favorite rabbit hole ;-)
You mention how Lindsey moves when she plays. She joined Pentatonix for their performance of Stromae's "Papaoutai" - and she's mesmerizing to watch.
I’m living for your PTX journey right now. Can’t wait for the next one. I don’t care which, I’ll be here!
This is how I was introduced to Pentatonix. I was playing the Defiance MMO and "Radioactive" was used in one of its promo videos. I was looking for the original video and came across the Pentatonix video instead. I fell in love immediately.
I originally found Pentatonix from their "Drummer Boy" video. Tjis song introduced me to Lindsey. Love both ever since.
The term "Cello Boxing" was coined for Kevin because he of course can beat box and play cello. If you really want to see his full talent check out Kevin Olusola "Down" cover by Marian Hill.
Your enthusiasm is awesome, thanks for another great reaction! Them together with Lindsey is a match made in heaven, all their collabs are fantastic.. please put Problem and Imagine on your to-do-list!
Lindsay Sterling and Pentatonix collaborated on "Papaoutai" also if you want another one with her. It's definitely a different vibe from this one though.
And over the river on their recent christmas album!
If you are enjoying Pentatonix and other A Capella stuff you might enjoy Voctave. There is a Disney medley with Kirsten from Pentatonix, an amazing Disney Princess medley, and a movie theme medley.
I second the Voctave recommendation! Some mindblowing voices there for sure
Yes! Voctave is well worth checking out! I think maybe great movie medley would be a good one to start with.
Voctave for sure!
"Disney Princess Medley" th-cam.com/video/aBCukAJwKN0/w-d-xo.html
"You Will Be Found" th-cam.com/video/hwbGSpKy-Ag/w-d-xo.html
"Poor Unfortunate Soul..." th-cam.com/video/O3zKr-3P0VM/w-d-xo.html
"Disney Halloween Mashup" th-cam.com/video/PD-FA6GDYv8/w-d-xo.html
I just saw Voctave LIVEa few weeks ago and they are exactly as awesome as rhey are on recordings. (Check out their Great Movie Medley and Prince of Egypt medley)
Please do their own song (Love Again) and Kiara Gold while they are on the couch.
absolutely love this one
Love your reaction of this song! Such talent they all have!
Fun reaction as usual! The Recording of Evergreen would be a fun watch...but be careful of the Beginners Guide to Pentatonix as it basically goes through music video clips...big spoilers.
There is also many years worth of PTXperience videos which are BTS of their tours (most recent 2021 Evergreen Christmas Tour) Plus many of their videos have separate BTS videos as well! Hope you pick something to watch 🥰
Let's acknowledge a band that invites guest artists, and makes space for them. There's a fluidity to Pentatonix, it's their greatest strength.
Yes! Lindsey!! Lindsey is so amazing!
"Roundtable Rival" and "Master of Tides" are some of Lindsey Sterling's best songs. The music videos for them are amazing.
Radioactive was my “entry drug” to PTX and I’ve been a fan since, never turning back. Their Sing Off performances are fun and fresh but All of their music is to die for.
Great reaction! I love how excited you get watching them! Please, please react to Pentatonix "Wizard of ahhhs" You won't regret it, mind blowing! 🤯
Lindsey she's an amazing violinist, i'm a big fan of hers it's really worth reacting to her songs.
I suggest the songs "SHATTER ME" ft. Lzzy Halle and "ROUNDTABLE RIVAL".
"Shatter Me" YES!!!
"Roundtable Revival" and "Master of Tides" are also excellent. Really, eveything Lindsey Stirling does is amazing. Not necessarily music-related, but she was on Dancing With the Stars - you should watch that some time, as well. Mark Ballas choreographed routines for them to a couple of Lindsey's songs, and he and Derek Hough appear in a couple of her music videos (th-cam.com/video/b50Gb3bPNI8/w-d-xo.html, th-cam.com/video/4MCjU-Du3eI/w-d-xo.html, and th-cam.com/video/ByxG3twGius/w-d-xo.html)
Interesting note. When Pentatonix was first formed, it was Mitch, Scott, and Kirsten. They found Avi through friends, but Kevin, they saw a video of him on You Tube beat boxing with his cello. That's what inspired them to bring him into the group. Oh, and they met, for the first time, I think it was 6 weeks before the competition started. The rest, they say, is history.
On a side note... you think Lindsey Stirling was good here? It's a completely different type of reactions, but you should watch her videos from when she was on Dancing with the Stars! Her last dance, where you see her dancing with her violin, will BLOW YOU AWAY!
Oh yeah?? Okay definitely will check that out and appreciate the back story my friend ❤️
I was actually following Lindsey Stirling first and discovered Pentatonix through this song. Still one of my favorites and still gives me goosebumps! I'm sure it's been mentioned several times but try to check out Kevin's cover of Down. Amazing musical example of his genius!
I'm dying for you to hear Imagine by PTX. It's nothing short of perfection. The message of the song, their visual presentation on it, and the vocal arrangement. I do not have enough words for that one.
PTX's 'Imagine' is a video and harmony master work - no doubt!
Might be coming next
Please!
You should check out Pentatonix doing Jolene with Dolly Parton. It is an amazing performance.
Which they won a Grammy for
Kevin is a Classically trained cellist. He is known for Cello boxing. He also dropped out of Pre Med at Yale to pursue music. And he speaks fluent Mandarin.
Awesome cover and reaction. Lindsay also plays on their Evergreen Christmas album 2021 to their song "Over the River". Im sure youll enjoy it and your brother too😉
Boy are you in for a treat!!! You just have to react to Kevin’s cover of Down, it’s live and it’s mind blowing 🤯. It’s criminal that one man has SO much talent!!! PS. Kevin invented the term Chelloboxing.
You need to check out "The Hu". Their duet with Papa Roach on the song "Wolf Totem" is amazing as well as their own remake of "Sad But True".
Definitely would love to see him react to them - Wolf Totem is incredible!
Definitely will be soon! ❤️
Their collaboration with Lindsey Sterling on Over the River is awesome. Please react to that one.
You are doing great my man!!! Still loving your PTX and Home Free reactions!!!! And Yes, Kevin plays the Cello in a few of their videos.
See their AHA video. Mitch’s Hugh notes!
High , not hugh
This song has such an odd 6 degrees of kevin bacon-esq history with me. Where basically, Ponies got me into pentatonix. let me explain.
So i was and still am big into the pony fandom. and there was a character with no lines who appeared very briefly in an ep who was seen playing the cello. Fans called her Octavia and started making stories and fan works related to her. one of the surprising bits was the creation of fan music for her. mostly orchestral music focusing heavily on cello, all dedicated to her (with one notable exception being a cover/parody of Titanium, called Octavia by elimonty).
I was at a friends house and we were going through youtube vids, I was showing him some of the Octavia fan music and videos people had made. In the recommendations was kevin's famous cello beatboxing video (the one i learned later was what got him into pentatonix). we watched that and loved it. in the recommendations for that video was a lindsey stirling video we hadn't seen yet, (i forget which). and in the recs for that was this video. we were both fans of her, and knew OF pentatonix but hadn't seen anything from them. so we watched it and was surprised to see the SAME GUY in the video. pretty much been a fan of theirs ever since.
If you wanna look at how they made some of their songs on a certain album check out “The recording of evergreen” by Pentatonix. Their are some clips of their songs in there ofc and you haven’t heard those ones yet so those can be sneak peeks to you or you can wait until you’ve heard them.
Okay ❤️❤️
Love your enthusiasm / appreciation! IMHO PTX does not disappoint, either in their upgrades (covers) or their originals. For an example of an original, you should try Love Again. Kevin is particularly impresssive
I love the Power Rangers analogy! Kevin has his own channel chock full of magically creative music, Scott & Mitch formed Superfruit (loads of music and skits and musical skits, etc) ..this rabbit hole has fabulous tributaries to travel and love
Definitely should check out Pentatonix "Over the River" with Lindsey. From their latest Christmas album- so theatrical and absolutely amazing!!
I walked down to the aisle to Lindsey Stirling's Shadows. She's always got a place in my heart!
You want to know if there any more amazing singers, groups, etc. Of course! There are just thousands, all different. It's lovely watching you from another Pentoholic.
There was a behind the scenes for Radioactive - but for general background (with some spoilers) check out you tube post "Beginners Guide to Pentatonix" by Pentaholic
I love this cover so much; it's a perfect blend of PTX and Lindsey Stirling's styles and skills and they really elevate the song (even though I too love the original.) For a music rec of a band that's very well known but you may have missed, have you listened to anything by Chvrches? They have a lot of great stuff, but for uniqueness and musical style along with an interesting video, I'd suggest Clearest Blue. The way the song is put together is really unusual, and it just builds and builds and it's a whole experience (and then if you like Chvrches, they have tons of other stuff to check out too.)
Kevin is insanely talented. Always love when he brings in Beyonce (his cello)😉
❤️❤️❤️
And his electric cello is named Mr Carter, I've heard.
There's a behind the scenes video for this actual video. Then there's behind the scenes for: Bohemian Rhapsody, Can't Hold Us, I Just Called to Say I Love You, New Rules x Are You That Somebody, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Perfect, Waving Through the Window, Attention, The Prayer, Making Christmas, Havana, You're a Mean One Mr Grinch, Sweater Weather, Evolution of Beyonce, and you'll see a TON of behind the scenes for most of their tours if you look at the PTXperience videos.
You have the greatest hair!! Lol ... keep the hat off 😆 PTX is incredible. Each solo ... together ... just pure talent. Glad you found them and so glad I can experience them all over again with you.
I suggest one of their very first youtube viral recordings, Somebody That I Used to Know, as well as Can You Feel the Love Tonight?. Also some of their originals would be fun- Happy Now, Be My Eyes, Love Again and/or Coffee in Bed.
Kevin was the featured soloist on the cello at Carnegie Hall. He also was the featured soloist another time on the saxophone at Carnegie Hall. He did this while he was going to med school. He ended up studying in China for a couple of years and is fluent in Mandarin.
I continue to love your reactions. Your pure amazement and joy just lifts my spirit!
Faouzia is another extraordinary artist. Her voice is something special. She's a Moroccan artist who puts a nice spin to her music that's reminiscent of where she comes from (she has Arabic roots). You could start by checking out her original song, "Tears of Gold", the stripped version coz that one's live and different from the studio version, but is still super awesome.
You'd definitely love her voice ✨
Usually in these kind of groups, all together they are a whole but every member is a complete whole. They also love seeing each other shine!!!
Check out The Sing-Off…. That’s their debut
I still remember seeing them on their first TV appearance on season 3 of Sing Off 10 years ago and new they where gonna take acapella to a whole new level
I love Lindsey. This song is how I found PTX. Their collabs are awesome!
My favorite pentatonix and Lindsey Sterling collaboration is their French cover called "papaoutai" that's one of my favorite ptx covers. The video is amazing!! ❤️🙏🏾
Thanks for YET another great video, I just love your enthusiasm !
"Love again"
You never fail to make me smile. There is a behind the scenes for this video. There did make a documentary back in their early years. Also, you can look up PTXperience videos (there are older ones and newer ones)
I also love the way they all harmonize specifically with the violin and cello. Thanks for this reaction.
PTX has done 3 songs with Lindsey, this being the first. Next up is the French song Papaoutai, and then the most recent: last years Over the River.
PTX-Aha, Run To You, Natural Disaster, Cracked, Gold, any one of their "evolutions"...there are SO many!!
So Happy that you were able to get to this one. Sorry I'm late to the party. Love the joy in your reactions!
Lindsey Stirling is one of my celeb crushes too. She is plucking her strings in between the chorus too. She's an amazing woman :)