WCHS students were put in the Christmas spirit this fall when Pentatonix, a pop a Cappella group, released two brand new albums.
The group’s next two albums, “PTX Vol. III” and “That’s Christmas To Me,” were released on September 23 and October 21, respectively. Pentatonix started their thriving career when the group won the third season of the hit NBC show “The Sing-Off.” Since then, Pentatonix has acquired more than six million YouTube subscribers and sold more than 500,000 copies of their combined first three albums, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Pentatonix’s albums generally consist of a combination of covers and original songs for fans to fall in love with. “PTX Vol. III” is no exception, possessing covers of hits such as Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea’s “Problem” and Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be” and originals such as “On My Way Home” and “See Through.”
“That’s Christmas To Me” meshes the old with the new when classics such as “Sleigh Ride” and “Mary, Did You Know?” meet new hits like “Let It Go” and the album’s namesake “That’s Christmas To Me.”
The talent that resides in Pentatonix is rare, but it shows in each one of their songs. Beatboxer Kevin Olusola lies the foundation for each song and leaves zero cravings for any kind of drum. Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, and Kirstie Maldonado provide the lead vocals, while bass Avi Kaplan ties it all together with the underlying deepness that’s needed with a Capella music. "Pentatonix is truly unique and has brought a Capella to the forefront of music over the past two years. It's an absolute honor to work with such talented people,” said Ken Phillips, Pentatonix’s publicist. The quintet has also scored a role in the upcoming 2015 movie “Pitch Perfect 2.”
Pentatonix has also changed the forefront of music at WCHS. "They legitimize what we do in class, raise expectations of what a good choral group should sound like, and have shaped the type of repertoire that we perform,” said WCHS choir director Brian Coleman. “Last year our symphonic and chamber choirs did a pop a Cappella piece at our final concert, and our pop a Cappella group Mutiny has covered a couple of Pentatonix's charts," added Coleman.
Pentatonix’s willingness to venture all over the realm of music is what sets them apart from other music groups. The quintet has featured Olusola, who has a knack for the cello, and violinist Lindsey Stirling twice in their covers of Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” and Stromae’s “Papaoutai,” in which Hoying expertly sang in its native French. The trio of lead vocalists blend their voices beautifully, and that shines in songs like “La La Latch.” The group is successful because they choose songs that accent and showcase each member’s voice. Their music videos leave nothing to be desired, as creativity surges through them. “Papaoutai” and “Rather Be” showcase this when the group is transformed into dolls in the first and tour Japan in the latter.

Whether you’re a Pentatonix veteran or want to check them out for the first time, both of these albums along with their past works can be found on the Pentatonix website.