Pentatonix: Season 3 Champs

[kilomperrara]

In Indianapolis, PTX performed  Winter Wonderland with Tori Kelly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgnBsRAK-M

Unfortunately, the video is incomplete.  Sounds good, though Tori's mic could have been up a little more??

[kilomperrara]

Oops, the above video was removed.  It wasn't even a complete song.  Too bad, I think lots of people would like to see that live performance.

[SrPab]

Here's one...still not the entire song, though.

[kilomperrara]

So the first video above has been reposted (thanks, SrPab).  There's a second video, but it even shorter, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXjLwPehc54

[ptxnewsandstuff]

There's a new video coming soon... (100% sure it is a certain song.)

Definitely could take off and boost sales :)

[takalotti]

So last year during their All Christmas Songs period, I called my local radio station and requested anything by Pentatonix. I didn't think this was such an unreasonable request since TCtM was doing so well. But they didn't have any of their music.

But this week I heard a commercial from them on the same radio station! It was advertising a one hour special that aired last night. It was just their Christmas songs, and they took turns talking about Christmas in between. The cutest bit was Scott saying his favorite holiday food was stuffing; he could eat pounds of it. Kirstin said hers was mashed potatoes and something about her dad's potatoes looking like clouds. Scott: "Aww, you were like, 'Feed me the clouds'?"

So much fun. And I'm so happy for them getting that kind of attention.

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Sounds like they shortened Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. 

[Kromm]

Okay, I've been in that Empire State Lobby a number of times over the years and this really reminded me how awesomely echoey it is!

[Kromm]

[Sharpie66]

FYI, the video for The First Noel should be up later this morning. As a patron, I've already seen it, and it's very good.  I love the music anyway, and I'd love to find out where they filmed it--it's a very pretty location!

[Sharpie66]

Chart updates:

 

Top 200 Albums:

TCTM: #4 (#3)

Pentatonix: #16 (#15)

PTXmas: #53 (#66)

 

Holiday Singles:

Mary, Did You Know?: #3 (#5)

TCTM: #33 (#43)

Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry, Be Happy: #50 (#62)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #55 (#84)

White Winter Hymnal: #56 (#74)

Little Drummer Boy: #92 (not charted)

 

Holiday Albums:

TCTM: #1 (#1)

PTXmas: #7 (#12)

[debbydeb]

Saw that the Voice's contestant will have the #1 holiday song with Mary did you know... it's #1 on iTunes. I feel sad. I prefer PTX's because of the: harmony and straight singing. I dislike the overornamentation of these contest singers. :(

[SrPab]

In the chart updates post from Sharpie66, PTX and Bieber swapped places because, while TCTM had more pure album sales (which include paid downloads) for the reporting period, Bieber's album had the sales + streaming edge since his album was being streamed much more--enough to overcome the pure sales gap vis-a-vis TCTM.

 

Like debbydeb, I prefer PTX's MDYK (over all other versions I've ever heard of the song, honestly). But, that's what being on tv week after week can do for you. I think PTX's version will have lasting impact, though...if all the YT vids I've seen of others performing their arrangement of it is any indication.

 

Last night I watched a tv ad regarding Ryan Seacrest's NYRE special on ABC. It didn't name-check PTX. I was on my local ABC channel because I watched the first hour/episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight (as PTX mentioned that you'd hear one of their songs during the broadcast). Nothing from them in that first hour, but then a second episode aired--and within the first segment their version of Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy was synced to a homeowner's outdoor light show --> Delaney Christmas.

Edited December 15, 2015 by SrPab

[Sharpie66]

I was pleasantly surprised to see the non-Christmas album still in the Top 20. Nice to see it selling so well!

[Sharpie66]

According to the YT comments, it was filmed near Columbus, OH.

Here it is!

Edited December 16, 2015 by Sharpie66

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Press Release for 'New Year's Rockin Eve '16' - Final performers added. PTX will be at the Hollywood one so it's definitely pre-recorded.

 

The Voice thing on iTunes doesn't mean anything. Just a surge of people buying that it rockets up the charts (similar to La La Latch w/ PTX). Believe that if people buy the song it counts as a vote? 

 

PTX is still killing it on the radio charts.

CSL is #36 on POP, #24 on HAC

Joy To The World #9 on AC

Have Yourself A Merry...#43 on AC

[septicptx0104]

TFN's video is gorgeous but the song is rather (and this is a word I never thought I'd use to describe a Pentatonix cover) boring. Maybe it's because I'm not too familiar with the song but I didn't really dig it. PTX sound fabulous as always and the video, as I said, was beautifully shot. I just couldn't get into the song. =/

[Kromm]

Press Release for 'New Year's Rockin Eve '16' - Final performers added. PTX will be at the Hollywood one so it's definitely pre-recorded.

How so?  Do you have news they're also going to be elsewhere the same night?

 

Traditionally the Rockin' Eve program is live, both costs. The West coast acts just do their national TV parts between like 7-10pm their time.

[Kromm]

TFN's video is gorgeous but the song is rather (and this is a word I never thought I'd use to describe a Pentatonix cover) boring. Maybe it's because I'm not too familiar with the song but I didn't really dig it. PTX sound fabulous as always and the video, as I said, was beautifully shot. I just couldn't get into the song. =/

Wow, not familiar with the song?  It's one of the real Christmas pageant standards.

 

But it IS a boring song, yes, and I do agree where they went with it sounds a bit predictable when you stack it up against stuff like the Sugar Plum Fairies song. It's pretty, but filler-ish.

I almost wish Avi had done the whole lead.  His part was the best here.  Actually Kristen's (brief) part was quite good too. For some reason Scott and even Mitch popped the least here.  They're both great, but their approach to their parts in this song seem somewhat interchangeable with stuff we've heard them do many times before.  Actually I suppose to be fair Avi's part wasn't exactly innovative either, but that's okay IMO because it's rare he gets the main lead.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Kromm

[Sharpie66]

I really love The First Noel. Yes, the standard version is pretty boring, which is why I've always rated it as a second-tier carol, but I really love what they did with it. I agree with Kromm that Avi and Kristin were the highlights of the arrangement, but I'd add Kevin, both his singing at the end and his body-percussion, because it fits in without being overpowering. Mitch and Scott are best as harmonies here.

 

As for the Rockin' Eve show, the Hollywood stuff is pre-taped. Last year, PTX appeared on it even though they were already in Mexico on their post-Xmas vacation when it broadcast.

[Kromm]

As for the Rockin' Eve show, the Hollywood stuff is pre-taped. Last year, PTX appeared on it even though they were already in Mexico on their post-Xmas vacation when it broadcast.

Do you mean JUST the singing bits?  Because my memory is that the West coast show has the West coast host get live "tosses" back and forth with Seacrest in New York--where they banter with him I mean (is it still Fergie?  Admittedly if its not then maybe its been too long since I last saw it)

Edited December 16, 2015 by Kromm

[Sharpie66]

That's probably it. I know that they hooked up with Jason Derulo at last year's taping, and they specifically have called it "taping" when talking about the collab that they did with him on the album.

[Kromm]

Awesome that they're nominated again. One of the major categories where they could of been nominated for was New Artist last/this year but TCTM was released after the deadline. Haha at Billboard, PTX is boring for not singing any lyrics. Hopefully they'll get to present at the main show (CMA style perhaps?)

It would be neat if they could present Best New Artist, because while I'm skeptical they'll get a nomination for that next year, THIS year their friend Tori Kelly squeaked into a nomination. That said.... she's up against Meghan Trainor. So... it would probably be the presenter handing that award to Trainor instead of Kelly.

[Sharpie66]

Well, didn't someone point out upthread that they can't be nominated for Best New Artist since they've already won a Grammy? They're going to have to score a big singles hit to get any more awareness from the Grammy nominations committee (or however noms are figured out).

Edited December 17, 2015 by Sharpie66

[debbydeb]

I hope one day they can win SOTY, AOTY, and Pop Group of the Year. :) 

WE CAN DO IT!!! *positivity thinking*

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Do you mean JUST the singing bits?  Because my memory is that the West coast show has the West coast host get live "tosses" back and forth with Seacrest in New York--where they banter with him I mean (is it still Fergie?  Admittedly if its not then maybe its been too long since I last saw it)

The entire Hollywood broadcast is pre-recorded. Blurring the lines, not "live" in LA but NY is 100% live.

 

VEVO channel is up and kicking. 3 videos! Spoiled us.

[Kromm]

So they fake the live tosses? Ugh.

BTW: I hate VEVO pages, but I guess they have their place if it's only for live performances we might not otherwise get to see.

[kilomperrara]

On the Sunday evening news show, NPR did an interview with PTX. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/20/460480768/fresh-off-a-grammy-nod-pentatonix-gets-back-in-the-christmas-spirit  Scott is doing most of the talking.  They talk about how Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy mashup came to be, and demo a bit of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.  

[SrPab]

It *has* been awhile: American Top 40

[debbydeb]

Aaawww congratulations!!! And after Shai and Shawn (and the rest of BIIM). Such a warm and fuzzy feeling.

And with their Christmas album doing so so so well.

[SrPab]

NFL on Fox Teaser

[Kromm]

Not their usual demographic, but maybe it's growing out of the Country demo that's taken to them.

The three from Texas are probably football fans by default though.

[debbydeb]

One of these days, I hope to see them sing the National Anthem on one of those large televised football/baseball games like Demi Lovato did a few months ago. I remember watching something a few years ago... a baskeball? tournament? I remember being really moved despite it not being my country's national anthem.

I feel like their rendition lends a dignity and grace, strength and stateliness to the song

[Sharpie66]

There are a lot of types of football fans, so you can't pin down one specific "NFL demographic." There's a reason that the NFL.com has been aiming their shopping ads towards women--there are many female football fans, including me! And if the NFL is trying to draw in more of a younger demographic anyway, why not use a YouTube/bestselling/Grammy-award-winning group in their Christmas-time advertising?

[ptxnewsandstuff]

For all the video/cinematographers. Director Jeremy Osbern takes us behind the scenes - http://jeremyosbern.com/blog/2015/12/19/shooting-a-music-video-for-pentatonix-for-fox-and-the-nfl/

 

If you've been watching, someone must be a fan of PTX because 'Na Na Na' has been constantly used (and a few others?), the college matches even use their music. Not necessarily targeting a demographic, just excellent taste in music. Or is that just wishful thinking?

Edited December 21, 2015 by ptxnewsandstuff

[Kromm]

See, maybe it's just me, but I think after Daft Punk. Sugar Plum Fairy is indeed the song of theirs most capable of going truly viral (even though it didn't the first time, after it came out). Can't Sleep Love is never going to do that no matter how it's spun. So the nomination folks got this one right. Then again since the song is really only playable around 30 days per year, I still imagine it's going to be a slow burn, where it just gets played more and more each year until it's just a default song played everyfuckingwhere. Fox using it this year, and I'm sure other ad campaigns aplenty whenever someone needs to pull a "cooler" Christmas song out of the bag than the usual. 

For all the video/cinematographers. Director Jeremy Osbern takes us behind the scenes - http://jeremyosbern.com/blog/2015/12/19/shooting-a-music-video-for-pentatonix-for-fox-and-the-nfl/

Says:

 

All in all a fun shoot. The band was one of the nicest and most down to earth I’ve worked with.

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Awesome. They can tick that off the bucket list. The freaking Empire State Building synchronized to your song.

[Sharpie66]

I read an article today--maybe it was in Forbes?--that said that TCTM had sold another 141K this past week and would only have another week of big sales, but that it should continue to sell well next December (and, IMO, for several years to come).

[Reddust]

I bought myself an early Christmas present of a 55 inch tv with Roku. Pentatonix videos are amazing on it. I've been watching everything there is on YouTube - so much better than my computer screen (understatement of the year).

[Sharpie66]

Today's Billboard Chart Updates:

 

Top 200 Albums:

TCTM: #3 (#4 last week)

Pentatonix: #15 (#16)

PTXmas: #59 (#53)

 

Holiday Albums:

TCTM: #1 (#1)

PTXmas: #8 (#7)

 

Holiday Singles:

Mary, Did You Know?: #6 (#3)

TCTM: #39 (#33)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #52 (#55)

Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy: #53 (#50)

White Winter Hymnal: #54 (#56)

Little Drummer Boy: #96 (#92)

[Kromm]

Holiday Singles:

Mary, Did You Know?: #6 (#3)

TCTM: #39 (#33)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #52 (#55)

Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy: #53 (#50)

White Winter Hymnal: #54 (#56)

Little Drummer Boy: #96 (#92)

It must be the Jesus angle, 'cause I have to admit I don't totally get why Mary, Did You Know is so high, while a far more interesting song/performance, Sugar Plum Fairy, is so many spots lower. Or in fact Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy--which is not as deep as Sugar Plum, but a lot less Jesus-y than Mary, Did You Know.

 

Egad, Mary Did You Know's video has 54 million hits. I don't hate it, but I can't claim to really "get" it.

[Sharpie66]

FYI, tonight's (12/23) Tonight Show rerun is PTX's October appearance, complete with them singing the opening theme.

[Rick Kitchen]

I think I counted 16 PTX songs in iTunes's top 100 Christmas songs of 2015.

 

http://www.popvortex.com/music/charts/top-christmas-songs.php

[Geeze]

In the latest (December) Spreecast, I was so happy to learn the story behind Avi's Sing Off Hair.  I remember thinking the hair did not go with his persona as I came to know them but it is totally in keeping with how he approaches things.  He said don't get your hair cut at a barber/beauty college because your hair will be ruined for national television.  I died.  I remember wondering about that at the time but once they started to sing you forgot everything but Their Voices.  I got a kind of a Little Lord Fauntleroy vibe from it (but at least it was not Superfruit's Blond Wig of Horror that they use for some performances.  And he did the Dance of the Spasming Arm from the Britney mashup.  I died.

 

I think they were talking about Sing Off advice to themselves then.  They were bemoaning the lack of in ear monitors for Without You and Scott was saying how he could not find the key and the rest chimed in (that might be why the You Tube of them singing it in a parking garage exists) and they expressed relief that the prior performance was Dog Days.

 

Loved it.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Geeze

[Rick Kitchen]

Have you seen SuperFruit's reaction video to their Sing Off performances?  They keep laughing at "Masc(uline) Mitch".

[Sharpie66]

Chart update!

 

Top Albums:

TCTM: #4 (#3 last week)

Pentatonix: #13 (#15--nice uptick!!)

PTXmas: #72 (#59)

 

Holiday Albums:

TCTM: #1 (#1)

PTXmas: #10 (#8)

 

Holiday Singles:

Mary Did You Know?: #10 (#6)

TCTM: #40 (#39)

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy: #50 (#52)

White Winter Hymnal: #58 (#54)

Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy: #59 (#53)

The First Noel: #91 (uncharted)

Little Drummer Boy: #96 (#96)

[Rick Kitchen]

I've discovered that there are *a lot* of YouTube channels with people reacting to Pentatonix videos.  There are lots of reaction channels, where people react to various things, and when they get comments from people suggesting they start checking out PTX videos, they suddenly start binge-viewing.  :)

[Sharpie66]

Some of the reaction vids are fun, but most are pretty boring, IMO--just images of them watching the music video, bopping their heads along or admiring something about it, and then not much recap afterwards. If they had a more in-depth analysis of why they liked or didn't like the video after watching it, I'd find it more interesting.

 

I was just looking over the chart update again, and I was reminded that I am very surprised that the non-holiday originals album is still in the Top 20. Back in October, I really thought that it might stick around in the Top 20 for two, maybe three weeks at most, but it's been, what, six weeks now, and I don't think it's dropped below #20. That's pretty impressive, even if it is riding on the TCTM coattails. It'll be interesting to see where it lands next Tuesday. I'll say right now that, if it stays in the Top 50, I'll be quite happy!

[SrPab]

I've only watched a few of them, but where I can be reasonably sure that a reactor is watching and liking a given PTX vid for the first time, I tend to enjoy their reaction (i.e., first impression) more. Because it tells me something about contemporary a cappella (at least, the way PTX does it) and how many more people are accepting of it...

 

 

I was just looking over the chart update again, and I was reminded that I am very surprised that the non-holiday originals album is still in the Top 20. Back in October, I really thought that it might stick around in the Top 20 for two, maybe three weeks at most, but it's been, what, six weeks now, and I don't think it's dropped below #20. That's pretty impressive, even if it is riding on the TCTM coattails. It'll be interesting to see where it lands next Tuesday. I'll say right now that, if it stays in the Top 50, I'll be quite happy!

 

...and how it ties into the above. I'm so pleased their album of almost all original a cappella music has been hanging around the upper quartile of the chart for as long as it has. However, it is too early for me to say that the public will push another a cappella act (let alone 20) into mainstream acceptance/prominence.

 

Because I love 'em, I get irritated at the jibes lobbed at them about sticking to Christmas music only, or oh-so-helpfully prognosticating that a cover band is all they will ever be. The implication being: leave real music to real musicians. Of course, they've heard worse. As long as they march to their drumbeat, I'll tag along. But it would be nice for the universe to declare it no problem for more than one or two (U.S.) mainstream a cappella groups to exist simultaneously.

Edited December 29, 2015 by SrPab

[ptxnewsandstuff]

Pentatonix #13 this week , sold approx 50k+.

 

*Hugs*