FIRST TIME Watching "The Dragonborn Comes" by VoicePlay! Brand Manager Reaction/Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- Hi there! Welcome to CF Reacts. 👋
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As we dive deeper into the VoicePlay rabbit hole, we check out "The Dragonborn Comes". Absolutely amazing, their vocal dynamics (especially in the lower end) continue to capture the attention of people all over the world - excited to see more!
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My name is Casper and I've been a brand manager, marketing expert and singer / songwriter for around 6 years! 😊
In 2024, I've decided to finally start my R/A channel where I'll be analyzing both the musical aspect of certain content, but also their brand value, marketing potential and more! 💼
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⭐ Original Video - • The Dragonborn Comes S... ⭐
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#voiceplay #voiceplayreaction #geoffcastellucci
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Intro - 0:00
Reaction & Analysis - 1:13
Final Thoughts - 15:30
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Edited by Adam B
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
Hey everyone!
I completely understand that you may have a different opinion on VoicePlay and their approach to genre, branding etc. but I do ask that you keep it respectful in the comments.
No reason coming for me or anyone else for their take on whatever delightful music we are listening to.
Thanks! :)
- Cas
It honestly amazes me that you feel there's a chance of VoicePlay being somehow pigeonholed into any particular genre. All I can guess is that it's from a limited sampling. Because VoicePlay's *lack* of genre is one of the exact thing that makes them so interesting. They've sung rock, pop, metal (yes, their cover of Nothing Else Matters), classical (In the Hall of the Mountain King), Broadway, Disney and more; they regularly incorporate dubstep or trap beats into compositions where you'd never expect them... shanties (fantasty-based or not) are only one of the many, many types of music that VoicePlay perform. No, these guys are moving targets, and it's absolutely delightful.
The most amazing thing I think of VoicePlay is that they have remained independent of any recording labels so they can choose their own material. They have been doing this for a long time. Geoff and Layne have known each other since high school if I remember correctly, and have worked together in music almost as long.
Geoff has a 5 octave range
Also, notice that he doesnt take part in the Fus-Roh-Dah, because it probably would destroy the studio, if not the world
As if we didn't all know he's a dragon already. 😂 You're not really helping fight the rumors there Geoff.
Also that just makes Kathy even more intimidating.
There is no chance of them being labelled... they already have a huge genre pool of everything you can possibly think of. Just have a look at the songs they released last year - and you'll see the diversity! VP is also partially bound by their Patreon's requests... they are very good to their fan base. 🌹🕊
I like your analogy of how VoicePlay reached the summit and just kept building, because I totally agree. In fact, and this may sound silly, but I think not being able to tour anymore because of 2020 really helped propel them. On a tour, they would do the same pieces over and over again. It would have to be a somewhat simplified arrangement to be able to be performed live. They weren't really being pushed to do more, to innovate. Once they were putting out videos full time, that's when you see them really start to shine. They always had that talent and capability, but weren't really pushed to use it to its full potential. Now that they are, there's no stopping them.
I can't think of any other artists who outdo themselves with every new song they release... There are a ton of incredibly talented groups and bands out there, and I love vast swathes of their catalogs, but there is no other group whose songs are instant favorites the moment I hear them for the first time. They are the first and only content creators I've ever joined their Patreon, and have zero regrets giving them well earned income. Well... I guess my only regret is that I can't be more generous with my monthly sub. I'm just happy that my meager sub helps facilitate them creating all this amazing music for the world to enjoy :)
@@zarasha8220 I completely agree! I'm the same too about patreon. I can't contribute much, but I'm happy with what I can give to help them in creating their art.
Geoff said he went just a little overboard on the costumes. Poor Cesar is wearing 20lbs of real chainmail. He had to lay on the floor between shots to rest.
oh my gosh really! poor cesar
Oh, as for Cesar, Eli, and Omar together...I CANNOT WAIT for you to watch them together in "Dream On!!!"
Yeah, love this one. I played a bit of Skyrim, myself, not enough to get all the details but enough to remember how spell words worked. It's awesome they learned part of a fictional language for this. Being a Geek is some awesome! I know a couple people who speak fluent Klingon!😊
Oh. You've seen it. I forgot. My bad. Sorry! Not sorry my bad memory gives me an excuse to watch you react to it again though!😁
I had been a bass singer and purist for close to 30 years when I first heard this... hearing Geoff do this changed how I think about bass singing forever. I knew I had to learn subharmonics. And, yes, I did learn them and have gotten pretty good at it; D0 is my lowest; G0 is my at-will note after 2 years of practice. Geoff is still the master at it, though... his tone and resonance with subharmonics is unmatched, in my opinion.
Well reacted, sir!
There's an interesting thing about Voiceplay: that in the past 3 years or so, Voiceplay apparently decided to work with 4 core members (and not to replace their previously existing 5th spot), but having lots of different 'guest stars' in that extra spot. What does our brand management guru think about this? I mean, I guess it gives more vocal flixiblity to the group in terms of songs they make... and from a marketing point of view?
I do know for sure that Cesar is a Dark Elf Battlemage (a mage who wears heavy armor) in this, and Omar is a Wood Elf Archer. Geoff, I believe, is an Imperial Barbarian, Eli is a Breton Warlock/Mage, and Layne is a Nord Warrior. I think.
I've got over 3,000 hours in Skyrim. And my favorite part is opening it up to the main menu and hearing the theme song starting to play. I would sit there and just listen to it a few times before I start or continue one of my playthroughs.
Voiceplay's rendition of this song is one of my absolute favorites. The first time I heard was Peter Hollens' version with Lindsey Sterling over 10 years ago. I highly recommend giving that one a listen, if you haven't already.
Thanks for making this video Casper! Greatly appreciate it.
Sorry for all the comments! I like to keep my thoughts seperated. Voiceplay has the biggest range of genres on music IMO, from Disney to video games to The Beatles to BTS! Also a newer style, the "Space Shanty" in their latest hit, "Sleeping In The Cold Below," also with Omar. It's super awesome! It reminds me a bit of that great but sadly short-lived show, "Firefly," for some reason. I'd love to hear VP do The Ballad of Serenity.
Me too! And we already know who is Captain Tightpants...
That would be absolutely marvelous!!!
My bestie is a Firefly fan… That’s all I’ll say, for now… hehehe…
I think you would love to hear their cover of "Dream on" or maybe even "Queen in 5 minutes". Their newest one is fantastic as well,("Sleeping in the cold below"), but if you want to hear some more of the animated hits pkg...try "Hellfire" from Hunchback of Notre Dame. They are just so diverse, there is no way they could ever be pigeonholed into just one genre.
Your comment about their dedication to the language is spot on! Most covers of this song grate on my nerves because of bad pronunciation, so their perfect pronunciation of it made my little nerd heart sing and shot this to the top of my favorites list.
The weird subwoofer sound is actually Layne's throat from the outside IIRC
Oh, you're going to go nuts! When the dragon starts growling during the opening... wow...
Good God, huge kudos points to you for being able to *mime along in the actual dragon-language* to Voiceplay! How many reactors can claim THAT as an achievement? 😃 For that alone you earned yourself a sub!
And thank you for voicing what I've begun to feel about Pentatonix. I do agree, they're still amazing at what they do, but I'll admit, as they've become more enveloped in the commercial mainstream they've become... less interesting to me vocally. I mean, they still make great acapella music, but I don't get those 'mind blown' moments anymore like I still get with pretty much everything Voiceplay does.
11:56 Love your discussion about how VoicePlay keeps working on their art and craft to continuously improve and innovate. As a new VoicePlay follower, I'm reveling in the richness of their catalog-- the breadth of choice and their interpretation of so many different styles
Welcome to the rabbit hole 😊
VoicePlay are unique and in a league of their own. You can't put them into a category. That's what I love about them. That is apart from their amazing harmonies, the clarity of diction, their stunning voices, their theatrical videos, and so much more. A sense of fun underlies it all. too. Oh and the width of thier genres they cover is incredible too. Re Boy Bands, Eli worked with rock band in the far east years ago and speaks some Japanese for instance. VoicePlay are perfectionists and spare no effoert to get the details right. In Queen in 5 minutes you can see their historical rssearch into gods of the underworld. Geoff's running bass is always impecable. And arpeggio - the middle syllable is not pronounced as peg, but more like pedge, (like hedge) Just so you know. :) Re the costuming, once again their passion for authenticity shows as poor Cesar was wearing a 20 lb chainmail shirt and had to lie on the floor between takes to give his shoulders a break. They have done some "trilogies". The post apocalytic ones are Warriors, Dream on, and Seven Nation Army, for instance.
Eli has fronted rock cover bands in the US. When he was 21 he signed a year contract to work in Japan for Universal Studios. He knew some Japanese before he went and became fluent while he was there. He also released a rock video while there, but it was solo, not a group.
It is interesting that you pointed out the combination of Geoff and Cesar in the beginning of the piece. It’s one of my favorite parts. I love the disparity of that deep gravelly low base and that gorgeous clear tone.
Although the shanty/Vikings are currently popular I don’t think they are in danger of being pigeonholed. One of the things I love most about their work is it is so varied. I never know what to expect and even when I know what the song is I’m not sure what to expect.
I’ve added a list of some of my favorites and yes it’s a long list. But it does demonstrate some of the variety that they have in their catalog.
For theatrics and drama: Hoist the Colours, Wicked Medley, The Greatest Showman Medley.
Rock: Carry on Wayward Son, Dream On, Queen in 5 Minutes, Seven Nation Army, Metallicapella (Nothing Else Matters by Metallica)
Pop: In the Air Tonight, Man in the Mirror, Superstition,Kiss, You’re My Best Friend, Butter, Boy Bands in 5 Minutes.
Game related: Warriors, HALO, My Mother Told Me, ACA Top 10 Video Game Themes, Sleeping in the Cold Below
Gorgeous Harmonies: Can’t Help Falling in Love, Bridge Over Troubled Water, True Colors, Tennesee Whiskey
Disney: The Little Mermaid Medley, Frozen II Medley, Friends on the Other Side from Princess and the Frog, Go the Distance (Hercules)
Heartbreak: Can’t Make You love Me. Creep
Hilarity: Hall of the Mountain King, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor
Halloween: four songs from Nightmare before Christmas (Oogie Boogie is popular, but I prefer This is Halloween and Kidnap the Sandy Claws), Ding Dong, Grim Grinning Ghosts (2versions-one done live)
Geoff has said that their biggest issue is song choice. Is it too trendy, too far out of left field, too boring, too repetetive? They do a lot of music that I've not heard because I am old. I love it all anyway.
I know you've seen their Moana medley, if you haven't seen their Little Mermaid Medley, be sure to check it out. It was done only 2 or 3 years after Moana, but the production values had improved by light years!
I hope you plan to get into Geoff's solo work as well.
If you are interested in a live video back when they were on the Sing-Off tours, check out Road Trip (the version with 9+ million views). I am enjoying your reaction/analysis. Others you might enjoy - Tennessee Whiskey, Phantom of the Opera, We're Good, Running Up That Hill, I Can't Make You Love Me and Just Sing done during covid - use the captions, you will find a lot of the former members of VP as well as guest vocalists as well as their claims to fame, all done over Zoom. When VoicePlay (Geoff, Layne, Earl, Scott Porter) was young and the name was 4:2:Five (went from 4 singers to 5), this was in 1997 (before that they had been together since middle school). Halo will bring you some video when these guys were just out of high school. Scott Porter (beatboxer) left for an acting career and Layne wanted to give up his baritone and do beatboxing. Geoff knew some and taught him the basics. Layne ran with that and has become a major player. Earl was high tenor 1, but they needed someone to handle the baritone, Mykal Kilgore ( who eventually went off to Broadway). Eli came in 2010. VoicePlay's became VoicePlay in 2012. Sing Off season 4 was VoicePlay (show wanted a female for the competition. Rachel was competing on the X Factor, so they went with Honey Rochelle - see her in Survivor: Zombies vs Hillbillies, also loved her voice in Play that Funky Music .) as well as Home Free.
There is " HOME FREE " tHEY ARE REALLY GOOD AS WELL (darn caps ) Man of constant sorrow was the first I saw, It's a good beginning. They have a big catalog check t out.
Hope you're ready for this one! Mr. Rumble (Geoff) outdid himself on this one.
The thumps are not notes, just a digital sound effect. VP confirmed it in a chat. Sometimes they will put those kinds of sounds in if it fits the atmosphere of the song.
Voiceplay, Petatonix, Home Fee, Voctave, The Bass Gang, and The Wellermen are my favorite acapella groups. All have improved incredibly since even I started to watch them about 5 years ago. Great reaction again Casper
so when are you and the bass gang going to try to get Geoff on a track. (I know he is probably super busy and you guys have probably already tried, I just want to see the collab)
Are you going to hit up their cover of Hellfire? Geoff finally got bullied into it.
This is the first Voiceplay video I watched 2 years ago in May.
Me too. I immediately went down the rabbit hole and into the warren.😊 I've loved everything they've done, except for "Whistling in the Jar".
That intro is phenomenal! Had to replay a couple times for that alone, it breaks me and idk why. Plz keep that as an intro 😂😂😂😂
As soon as you mentioned them being not needed, the different purposes the multitude of octaves serve became apparent. But that is, I suppose, the point of even making reaction videos - we all learn.
Just want to comment about the input on 'Branding' - very neat to have some info about your views on that. My background is in advertising, so of course I find it super interesting. Would love to hear more on ways they could 'brand' to up their views, perhaps? While many folks repeat that they do a great variety of songs, I sometimes also wonder whether that very variety makes it more difficult for them to gain views. Does it make it more difficult for the TH-cam algorithm to push them forward?
Also neat comment about the lighter quality of Tenor for Omar and Cesar, while Eli's has more heft. This also just points out to me what perfect choices they made for what type of character each would play. That very lightness seems so appropriate for differentiating the Elves from Eli's Human. Not something I had thought about before your comment.
Thanks for your reaction!
I totally agree with you about Pentatonix. Incredible singers each and every one! But for me, they have more of a midstream feel, and I don't really connect to them as much.
I love your reactions to Geoff. I'm curious, just how much do other members of the Bass Gang find inspiration from him? He popularized subharmonics, after all. I know Peter was fangirling when he got to interview Geoff, haha!
I like how VoicePlay avoids falling into a specific brand by mixing up their genres. Pentatonix got trapped into this "pop and Christmas" brand and just sort of float there. Home Free rarely branches out of their "Country and Christian" genre. That works for those two groups; it's what made them popular. With VoicePlay... you never know what genre they'll pick. That can be good, but it makes it impossible to find a niche. At the start, I saw them as more of a Disney and Broadway group. Then they became pirates and Vikings. Now in 2024... space pirates? (I really want that to be a trend. Really!)
The videos with costumes get greater views, simply because they are more visually appealing than, say, a cover of Michael Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, or the Righteous Brothers, where they are in street clothes and simply sets. I've noted that, while they did dabble in costumes before, they began to do more after "Oogie Boogie" went viral, and the costuming REALLY took off after Cesar joined. Actually, I just looked it up. Not counting their shorts and minis:
Since Oogie Boogie: 27 costumed, 28 normal
Since Cesar joined: 22 costumed, 10 normal
So yeah... perhaps it was post-Covid silliness, but they had a run of costumed videos in 2022. From "Hoist the Colours" to "Enemy," they put out 9 videos in a row with elaborate costuming. Then came "Good 4 U" and while Adriana Arellano is amazing, it never broke 1 million views. I personally think that "I Can't Make You Love Me" is pure acapella bliss, yet it sadly sits at only 300k.
For some groups, they would see the trend and stick with what works. Yet VoicePlay still puts out "normal" videos, often with songs from the 80s or 90s, songs these 40-year-olds grew up with. We older Millennials find it sweetly reminiscent, but that won't get the same views as what is trendy.
They could easily fall into a brand of Viking, shanty, and all-around costuming. They are "the theater kids of acapella" after all. Yet they keep defying that.
It comes back to "what gets the views."
Did I share their version of "In the Air Tonight"? No.
Did I share "Valhalla Calling" and "Hellfire"? Yes.
Should they stick to what trends? Hell no!
Just my opinion, but I like their unpredictability.
Awesome break down on the song and let’s just say that Casper and Eli are the best tennors around
You definitely need to check out I Can't Make You Love Me, Good For You, In My Room, Creep, or their Wicked Medly for some different sides
Great reaction and many very good points!!
If you really check out their catalogue you wouldn't label them as a shanty group Casper. They are all overvthe place. Listen to If I Were A Rich Man for instance. No post-apocalyptic or shanty there.
Thank you for another great reaction to Voice Play. Would you please do a reaction video to Voice Plays cover of Hell Fire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame ? It is amazing. Cesar playing the air guitar with his voice is amazing. Wait till you hear the vocal range of Geoff at the end. Also please do a reaction video to Voice Plays cover of Halo, the theme song from the Halo video game. The composer of the music said Voice Plays cover was the best he ever heard. At the end there will be an important message so please listen to it & as with all Voice Play & Geoffs videos always wait for the credits to stop rolling before you end the video.
Skyrim fans UNITE!
VoicePlay es mi agrupación musical favorita.
Dimash Qudaibergen es mi artista favorito.
¡ Gran reacción y análisis, GRACIAS !
LOL, ah yes, Geoff inspires more facial expressions than any other singer I can think of. I believe that one is called "jaws agape."😂
Omar and Cesar are best buds, and I think that may be how Cesar met Voiceplay, after they did their first song with Omar, "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. Correct me if I'm wrong though, Voiceplayas.
But yeah, I think most of us consider both Omar and Rachel Potter honorary Voiceplay members. Both have done many songs with the group. I hope we get to see Rachel back sometime too, when she can take a break from "Moming!" 😅Yeah, I don't have kids but even *I* know, Moming doesn't come with breaks. But maybe daddy can take over for a day? Oh, hey, remind me gang, what did Rachel have? A Soprano or a Bass?
Hardly fair - at that age ALL babies are Sopranos! But I believe this one was her first girl.
@@hwyla4416 LOL, fair point! I have known some males who can sing that high, and at least have seen one woman who can sing bass. I'm not even really sure where high tenor and soprano divide, honestly.
@DravenGal: Yes, Omar and Cesar have been besties for a very long time. I recently went to a local function and heard Cesar and Omar singing together live and raw and it was amazing. Love Omar and would love to see both Omar and J None become permanent members of Voice Play with different featured guests for many reasons. They all have wonderful side projects ( local theater for Omar and Cesar) and would like to continue to see them doing their side projects that they love. I would like to see Rachel again too and that day will come again as they are much like family no matter how busy they are.
@@acorrado5529 Ooooh, maybe someday they'll have Rachel AND Omar! Just the thought of it makes the music lover in me swoon!
@DravenGal Cesar said that Layne caught him in a show in Orlando, liked his voice and stage presence and invited him to sing with them. J had just left for the Navy and they were looking for a replacement. The rest, as they say, is history!
❤❤❤❤😊😊😊 Love watching your reactions!!
Enjoying all the VoicePlay! Maybe you'd like to do some Voctave, too.
Have you heard their cover if Metallica's Nothing Elsr Matters. I think ir's pretty popular?
Casper, as you know, pigeon holing is what big vinyl does best (or at least most), and it has hurt many unbelievable artists. Voiceplay does everything it can to not be pigeon holed. Last year they did- Seven Nation Army, The Golden Hour, In the Air Tonight, Nothing Else Matters (Metallica), Jingle Bell Rock, Whiskey in a Jar, and Disney's Hellfire, in addition to a couple of Shanty's. If they get PH'd, it is not their fault.
Try Geoffs cover of Folsom Prison Blues....
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This cause many reactor freakouts when it was first released.
I am a bass singer and my jaw dropped when I first heard it. Geoff probably knows how much influence he has had on the bass singing community over the past few years... but he is staying humble about it.
Arpeggio is pronounced r-PE-g-o. Voiceplay, in one form or another, has been doing this since before you were born. I think they have a handle on what they want to do as far as their "brand", I believe you can call it "eclectic".
And as a music nerd, I can attest that Geoff's arpeggio is a second inversion triad (starting with a pick up note) going up two full octaves (and back down), followed by a root position triad doing the same. Then the whole sequence repeats.
You should definitely check some of Geoffs solo stuff but Voiceplay wise seven nation army, friends on the other side and we dont talk about bruno are well worth a watch, hoist the colours is great too!!
Check out Nothing else matters by Metallica go voiceplay did a fantastic arrangement by geoff❤
If VoicePlay were going to get branded into a corner genre-wise, it probably would've been with the Disney stuff. But they've managed to avoid that, mostly by also doing other stuff on a regular basis.
Cesar was wearing real chainmail (25 lbs. of it).
Have you watched Omar onThe Voice. If not I highly recommend it. He came in like 5th...but should have been in the top 3.
I'd like to suggest that you try the A Capella band Pentatonix. Most people start with Hallelujah and follow that up with their Daft Punk Medley. If you like Voiceplay you will like Pentatonix. And I guarantee that lots of people will come and subscribe. I'm doing that now. Best wishes for rapid growth of your channel.
And to think they lost to Home Free on season 4 of the Sing-off, coming in 6th. If you want a fun video watch Zombies vs Hillbillies "Survivor" Home Free vs Voiceplay.
And now I'm installing Skyrim, again. Oh darn.
You forgot folk ...whiskey in the jar
Number like 627 #GabrielHenrique I leave as a suggestion to the CF Reacts channel, the talented singer Gabriel Henrique with the I HAVE NOTTING cover by WHITNEY HOUSTON
Dragonborn is from a video game. It has nothing to do with sea shanty. The hero is destined to meld with a dragon and then takes on the dragon voice, which is why Geoff is the lead. Then they sing in Elvish. NO boats, flying with dragons. Fantasy - the phrase they say together Fus Ro Dah is a power phrase.
I'm baffled how you could listen to 2:05 - 2:11 and then say "Geoff is currently carrying the entire song". Why do reactors keep doing that to Cesar? His voice is so beautiful but y'all blow right by him like he's not there (not just in this video either, it's an even more infuriating trend in some of their others.) I don't _get_ it. It's like Geoff's bass brainwashes (earwashes?) half the people who hear it, when that's not even the most interesting thing he can do with his own lovely five-octave range!
Lmao love the shade thrown at Payton. His pseudo-viking shit is really getting cringe
Eli is pronounced "Ellie" (stress on the first syllable), not "Ell-Eye", or whatever the heck you were trying to butcher is name with. LEARN THE NAMES.
You can correct someone on pronunciation of names without being such an ass.
You do realize (probably not as you're too busy bitching) that he's from Denmark, right? So English may not be his first language, and the way he pronounces certain words and names will vary. But you know, God forbid, not everyone is exactly the same just for you.
If you really check out their catalogue you wouldn't label them as a shanty group Casper. They are all overvthe place. Listen to If I Were A Rich Man for instance. No post-apocalyptic or shanty there.
Oh man, it's SO annoying when you post and it posts twice! It's so weird, too.
@@DravenGal agree, it's certainly not deliberately.
@@carinarodebak9419 Unless it's a troll.