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Pentatonix: Season 3 Champs

Rhondinella

By Rhondinella
in The Sing-Off [V]

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GirlvsTV
GirlvsTV

My big issue with that NY Times review is that I don't think the album should be reviewed as an 'acappella' album at all. PTX made a pop album full of songs intended to attract mainstream radio play.

Geeze
Geeze

Avi's new video Quarter Past Four  I read into it why he's stepping back.

debbydeb
debbydeb

@SrPab, yes the whole CASA facebook group discussion baffles me too. It reminded me in the visual art world they're squabbling about Contemporary Art when it first arrived too. But really, for a cont

Geeze

Geeze

Wonderful to have you aboard, ptxnewsandstuff.  You are all kinds of awesome.

 

(sigh) Pass the barbecue sauce for this big ol' plate of crow I have in front of me.  I should know by now that anything Pentatonix does works its way into one's pleasure receptors and makes favorites out of covers one didn't even like by the original artists.  That being said I am now have the MJ evolution on infinite replay, I love the arrangement and..............why go on?  You know how it goes.

 

(double sigh) While I'm in the confessional, I did not prefer the original Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye, not because it's not a great song and not that he's a mad talented singer but because I am an uptight prude (this from friends so no harm no foul) but I blast their Sing Off version at work and rock/shimmy/whatever along with them, I love their rendition and as far as I'm concerned Scott could riff my tax return and I would love that too.....even if I owed money,

 

I've had the necessity of radio airplay explained (thanks to those who attempted to shed light on my cluelessness) and I want that for them too but I beyond love and adore Baddest Girl (don't judge me, I'm a Pentaholic), Love Again (loses consciouness, revives and loses consciousness again), Natural Disaster, Show You How To Love (Kevin.Avi.) and that anthem for the ages On My Way Home.  Their "relentlessly talented" execution plays into my love for the songs, but what's wrong with them structurally or musically or other-ically that makes them unsuitable for radio or not recognizable as good songwriting (and I say that because I haven't read or heard tell of non-fans being enthralled by the originals so far)?  Is it that you have to have a "name" attached to the product?  Is there no magical hook (hell, all of each of those songs is a hook to me)? Some more light on my darkness, please.

 

And now for something completely different, I remember Scott said on SO3 that they wanted to be just like Sonos?!?!?!?  No disrespect to Sonos (I've listened to them and they are good) but (my opinion only and your mileage may differ) PTX's appeal is so much bigger and wider and deeper that that just boggles my mind or am I just comparing apples and oranges?  Was he being modest or is PTX just bigger than they ever dreamed? 

 

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SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

My memory's not so great with this, but back in S3 (2011) when PTX and Sonos were on the show, Sonos was a known quantity in the aca-world.

 

I imagine that when PTX heard the other groups audition and rehearse, they may have been drawn to the sounds Sonos was making. They would have known Sonos was using effects pedals and live looping equipment--but the final product was what grabbed their attention. Separate from Mitch's taste in music, perhaps this is where PTX was influenced by EDM-sounding a cappella.

 

I'm guessing, but I don't think PTX, to a person, had much (if any) experience or skill using effects pedals/looping at that time. And Sonos was eventually told that they couldn't use their equipment to "compete".

 

Re: radio play and PTX non-holiday originals...what radio are we talking about--Top 40 stations, Alternative, mid-market, large-market, [pick 'em]? I personally think Love Again and See Through could/should be on radio now but I don't know where any given station manager would program them. To me, if it sounds Top 40, put it on a Top 40 format. If a song sounds country, put it on a Country format, etc. But they are perplexed by (contemporary) a cappella, to put it mildly.

 

On an aca-insider's FB page some months ago, there were two big threads discussing radio (and record labels) being leery/dismissive of a cappella music--unless it was Christmas music. Someone posted that lots of songs get their start to stardom on college radio, then graduate to small/mid-market, then perhaps on to large-market (NYC, L.A., Chicago). Of course, having a major record label pimp a song can bypass all these steps--but that takes $$$ (sponsored advertising, marketing and promo; no payola).

Edited by SrPab
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Sharpie66

Sharpie66

And since Sonos was an LA-based group, I'm sure that Scott, going to school at USC, probably saw them perform at some point before he ever got to TSO.

 

Has anyone else seen the latest Spreecast (from 7/30)? It's been a few days since I've watched it, but I remember a few tidbits. FIrst, damn, Avi's hair is getting long! He pulls it out of the ponytail in the beginning, and it's down to his shoulders. I love the curls, so IMO he looks good with it down. Also, he mentions that he actually did try out for a few reality-competition tv shows before joining PTX--America's Got Talent, something else, and a third show that never even made it to air, but he didn't get on any of them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m56Sscb3-68

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Geeze

Geeze

(edited)

                 ' "Daft Punk" &"Radioactive" have been certified GOLD.
                  Awesome news just keeps on coming.'

 

Yes. Awesome, but more than that to me.  Unless I'm wrong (and I'm always correctable since I am way out of my element here), DP and R did this without promotional hoopla, am I right?  To me that augurs really well for the new album. 

I think the Pentatonix sound is pretty well established by now.  I'm not saying it's going to be effortless but I am becoming a little bit optimistic about the new album's chances.  I'm not saying the trajectory will be like TCTM but I'm optimistic.

Edited by Geeze
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ptxnewsandstuff

ptxnewsandstuff

"Delusionally optimistic" - Scott Hoying

 

Yes, fairly confident the original album is going to do well. All this love from RCA is great. Both parties want a top 40 hit and PTX has been promoting "Can't Sleep Love." They just performed it at a private Walmart 'thingymabob' in Denver.

 

'Welcome to the new age.' 100 streams = 1 unit.

Which makes TCTM album success just as awesome. Most of it was physical copies or paid downloads.

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

Even more amazing to me was the fact that they came thisclose to going platinum in Canada--their label rep ep there said that they are almost guaranteed to reach that mark this upcoming holiday season.

Why would Canada be especially hard?  I know it's a tiny country populationwise, but aren't the stats necessary for Gold and Platinum based on the local populations and the rules of their local music organization (in other words, not the RIAA).

 

EDIT - found it:

 

Music Canada.  Note the numbers for Gold and Platinum are in line with Canada's population.  Tiny numbers expected compared to the RIAA: http://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/faq/

 

vs. the RIAA:  http://riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=criteria

Edited by Kromm
SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

What's the deal with Walmart and Christmas in August? Aside from being a private event, why would they request PTX perform Christmas songs--could this have been taped to be used in holiday commercials/advertising? Of course, none of them are dressed festively. Maybe this was just for state or regional management...to get them in the holiday spirit?

 

BTW, the vid suffers from a variant of vertical video syndrome --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfd2xacI6GA&ab_channel=Verdictdenied

Edited by SrPab
SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

...DP and R did this without promotional hoopla, am I right?  To me that augurs really well for the new album. 

Also: Both are covers that essentially got no radio love. And one of them uses two classical instruments. To many people, the Daft Punk medley probably sounded like a new music, given how it was arranged. People paid for these songs.

 

Do we think that RCA's promo push (with radio play being strongly hinted at) for PTX will be U.S.-only, or will they hype them in Japan, Germany and the U.K., too? Will they hype them in any other English-speaking countries?

 

Upthread, I said one of my measures for success with the new album would be if it sells as well as PTX, Vol. III. I'm sticking to that--and am optimistic it will do better. Maybe not better as in 'Gold in the U.S.'; just better first week and overall sales than any of their other non-holiday albums to-date.

Edited by SrPab
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Kromm

Kromm

What's the deal with Walmart and Christmas in August? Aside from being a private event, why would they request PTX perform Christmas songs--could this have been taped to be used in holiday commercials/advertising? Of course, none of them are dressed festively. Maybe this was just for state or regional management...to get them in the holiday spirit?

 

BTW, the vid suffers from a variant of vertical video syndrome --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfd2xacI6GA&ab_channel=Verdictdenied

"Published on Aug 12, 2015" does not necessarily mean "Recorded on Aug 12, 2015".  How do we know this isn't some old video someone only just decided to post?

SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

Hmm...Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was on TCTM, so--2014. Can't Sleep Love, to my knowledge, was publicly debuted in July 2015. It is possible that they performed both these songs in December 2014, at a private event. But, there were tweets from a number of their fans talking about them being in Denver yesterday morning (before flying back to Seattle for that evening's concert). There was a post from yesterday on PTX's FB wall that mentioned "Denver", "Walmart", "getting on stage". Also, there was tweet from yesterday with a picture of them dressed as they are in that vid above--with decorated Christmas trees in the background (and the tweet was not an older retweet).

Edited by SrPab
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Kromm

Kromm

BTW: did anyone else watch the rules video? - http://bit.ly/1MvopHw

 

Normally I'd say it was okay that college/university level was in an acapella contest, but if they're allowing them to do so alongside kids of all ages, but I think it takes away from the actual kids to have them involved in this. Different prizes for each school level, sure, but IMO those college acapella folks have enough other outlets.

 

Also, really the directors this ad agency uses need to get a clue.  In both the "ask PTX" video and the rules one (but worse in the rules one) the stuff coming out of people's mouths sounds SO rehearsed/unorganic (including with some of the older teens in the rules video some of the fakest laughter I've heard in years).  Except there was one blond girl wearing a really stupid hat in the rules video that really sold the heck out of her lines.

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ptxnewsandstuff

ptxnewsandstuff

Tweeted about this earlier. All the official Irish entertainment sites have listed PTX as a support act. Ticketmaster Ireland also has them listed. However, Kelly already announced her UK tour dates a week ago and just added Dublin's today. Think PTX might only be opening for that one date (Nov 10th). This might mean a UK album press tour. Still want to hear it straight from PTX though.

Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

Note the special bit at the end. That's the "something we've never heard before" part.

 

re: the actual "Cheerleader" part (vs. the extra bit).  It's another of those songs where I don't much like the original but like their take on it. They took a overly synthesized mess and cleaned it up (although if we're realistic we know even their vocals have some digital cleanup and minor reverb on it). I also like how they carved out those unique sections for each of the Trio.  Also, Avi's carrying a lot more of the beatboxing now, isn't he? There are sections in this where its clear Kevin is doing some other sound effect and you can see that Avi is just doing the basic beat there instead (for example, go to around 1:55 and listen to the next 30 seconds or so).  Then in other parts of the song Avi joins in the harmony with the Trio--so really he's got the most vocal changeups to do, even if it's not obvious.

Edited by Kromm
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kilomperrara

kilomperrara

The aforementioned section starting around 1:55 shows how Pentatonix builds layers by adding voices (Scott, then Mitch, then Kirstie), which builds to the crescendo.  The crescendo is all in the treble range, except for the bass.  Some think that they need another voice in the baritone/2nd tenor range, but I think that their trebly crescendo is great because it can be very light and sparkly.  For me, that sparkle differentiates them with other, more "balanced" groups.  For example, see the Filharmonic version of cheerleader, which is very nice, in that it is a cappella with nice harmony and blend, but I don't find it quite as catchy.  Also see the Walk off the Earth version, which (to me) comes across as gimicky, as they are playing around with bringing in a variety of different instruments.

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Kromm

Kromm

The aforementioned section starting around 1:55 shows how Pentatonix builds layers by adding voices (Scott, then Mitch, then Kirstie), which builds to the crescendo.  The crescendo is all in the treble range, except for the bass.  Some think that they need another voice in the baritone/2nd tenor range, but I think that their trebly crescendo is great because it can be very light and sparkly.  For me, that sparkle differentiates them with other, more "balanced" groups.  For example, see the Filharmonic version of cheerleader, which is very nice, in that it is a cappella with nice harmony and blend, but I don't find it quite as catchy.  Also see the Walk off the Earth version, which (to me) comes across as gimicky, as they are playing around with bringing in a variety of different instruments.

I like the Walk Off The Earth version. But they're not acapella, so it's a totally different animal anyway. Their entire shtick is often about crazy unique instrumentation and weird out of the box videos where they manipulate the camerawork and environment, so calling this one gimmicky is basically the saying all of what they do is. I'm a fan of theirs personally, but don't really see them as direct market competition for PTX.

SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

The four "prominent" a cappella versions of Cheerleader I'm aware of are from PTX, VoicePlay, The Filharmonic, and Gentleman's Rule. Since I'm predisposed to preferring the noises made by PTX, I'll just give my initial impressions on the others first.

 

Let me qualify by saying I neither love nor dislike the original by OMI--it's just there. Lyrically and melodically, it doesn't hit me where it hurts. And since I live in a land dominated by PTX, I haven't been bombarded by the original song everywhere I go (hence, why I don't hate it). So, with the a cappella renditions what does grab me are the little things. After PTX, VoicePlay's version stands out because I like the ornamentations and embellishments woven into their arrangement. The rap interlude (written by Alfredo Austin and sung by Earl Elkins) is also a neat touch. The harmonies and the blending from the Fillies' version are nice but there are some...how shall I say...key changes and modal shifts (?) that aren't the good kind of unexpected to my ear. Perhaps this was the (lack of) execution rather than the idea(s). Again, not bad...but not wowed by them. The Gentleman's Rule version comes across as the most generic. For me, it's that pleasant but disposable a cappella music we've talked about upthread.

 

Having said all of that, while PTX's arrangement is the best of the bunch, IMO it falls into the category of "Missed it by thatmuch" (Happy is included in this category). If it comes up randomly on my iPhone's shuffle mode, I'll listen to it; but I'm not adding it to my "Obsessions" playlist (which changes periodically but always has a minimum of two PTX songs). This is almost certainly down to the original just being lackluster to my ears.

Edited by SrPab
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debbydeb

debbydeb

@Kromm's assessment of Avi's role in Cheerleader reminds me of that guy reviewing Angel's We Have Heard on High. Remember when he was praising Avi's solo part. Avi was doing and holding a high note at the end of his solo and the next note was... a bassline note. That's a really crazy drop which he executed flawlessly.

And maybe did for many other songs too, thus lending a lot of 'illusion' that PTX has more members than 5.

Also I remember that beat creation masterclass that Avi and Kevin did many years ago when they just won Sing Off and they explained how they shared the Vocal Effects part of Love Lockdown.

And re: Kevin I'm glad to see that he's also getting more vocal singing roles and becoming more confident in it. His singing voice is of a higher register freeing up Scott to help Avi at the bottom section if needed... Plus his timekeeping skill is great. (if in a band he's the bass guitarist or a drummer who keeps the tempo from running away).

Kevin and Avi's classical training helps balance the Trio's more contemporary flair too, I think. Sometimes I can sort of pick up some chords or stylings that's very classical/orchestral.

On the noise making front, PTX is damned lucky to have Avi and Kevin together. That's just some crazy example of stars aligned...

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ToxicUnicorn

ToxicUnicorn

Oh, I love, love, love this (PTX Cheerleaders)!  It's a video that makes me happy in a way that I haven't been since Valentine.  (My favorite videos: That's Christmas to Me, Daft Punk, Little Drummer Boy, and now this.)
 

Avi was doing and holding a high note at the end of his solo and the next note was... a bassline note. That's a really crazy drop which he executed flawlessly.

 

Avi is a freak of nature.  Darwin should come back to life just to say, "What???"

 

I also like how they carved out those unique sections for each of the Trio.
I think that their trebly crescendo is great because it can be very light and sparkly.  For me, that sparkle differentiates them with other, more "balanced" groups.

I adore the Trio, of course, (to the moon!) but what gets me every time is their impeccable timing.  That's the part that floors me the most when PTX talks about getting the arrangement down in a day or two. 

 

And re: Kevin I'm glad to see that he's also getting more vocal singing roles and becoming more confident in it. His singing voice is of a higher register freeing up Scott to help Avi at the bottom section if needed

 

So glad you all are here to point these things out.

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Geeze

Geeze

Kevin and Avi's classical training helps balance the Trio's more contemporary flair too, I think. Sometimes I can sort of pick up some chords or stylings that's very classical/orchestral.

On the noise making front, PTX is damned lucky to have Avi and Kevin together. That's just some crazy example of stars aligned...

I agree wholeheartedly with the last statement (note my icon piccy or whatever it is).  Even with that, I feel compelled to say that The Trio got some heavy classical training too at Martin High School because of its emphasis on fine arts and in their extra-curricular pursuits.  They all have some heavy musical academic chops (Kevin has praised Mitch's strong musical intuition).  Granted I'm Penta-biased but I think that's part of what made them so juggernaut on The Sing Off:  knowledge and execution  So given their individually endowed "relentless talent" and their knowledge of arranging (not discounting Ben and the music people available on the show) and whatever else goes into crafting music, when they all met, they locked and loaded very quickly without having to support a weak link or bring anyone up to speed and detonated onstage into their first performance (ET).

 

In short, those who can.....do.  Those who can't, ain't Pentatonix

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kilomperrara

kilomperrara

Yes, their arrangements are always top notch and distinctive (always providing surprise moments during the Sing-off).  Combining excellent talent with great arrangements and impeccable execution is why they have risen so rapidly and why we are all big fans.  My favorite song that shows off their classical training is Aha, with the Christus Factus Est intro.  The "opera" intro sounds so full with only 4 voices.  It took an excellent knowledge of the classical repertoire to even conceive of it as an intro to Aha.

 

An aside, OMI explains how he wrote Cheerleader on a video clip that is associated with the Jimmy Fallon Tonight show.  The song was written in 2012, and has gone through a couple of incarnations before the current remix that has been very popular, and spawned all of these covers.  So sometimes songs need some aging or rethinking.

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Geeze

Geeze

(edited)

About Aha:  I remember Ben Folds used to caution them about rushing.  Subsequent to TSO I noticed, specifically in Aha, that they not only rush, they attack that puppy at breakneck speed.  That just makes me think that they are so confident in their execution that they don't have to go slowly for any good reason I can see.

 

Per the documentary, I think, they were looking for an intro to Aha.  Avi found Christus Factus Est, they adapted and Bob's your uncle.

 

That thing is just breath-taking and not solely because of Mitch's work.  Kevin's stuff is just jaw-dropping good to me.

Edited by Geeze
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SrPab

SrPab

I remember reading somewhere (the CASA FB group?) that in live settings, it's better to perform an a cappella cover at a slightly faster tempo/BPM than the original. An a cappella cover at the same BPM as the original is heard/perceived by the audience (assuming they are familiar with the original) being slower than the original--and this isn't a good thing unless the intention is to slow things down to create a different mood.

 

For example, PTX's slowed-down version of Somebody That I Used To Know was a case where I preferred their take over the original. Gotye's easy, breezy vibe clashed with the lyrics (as it was meant to). But PTX's take was angry and dismissive--the tone matched up better with the lyrics (a la "You hurt me and now I don't give a f**k about you!). I'm not saying I don't enjoy mismatches between melody/tempo vs. lyrics, but PTX's version caught me off guard in a decidedly good way.

 

I love the Bruckner piece as the intro to Aha! It accomplishes several things. In practical terms, it gave Kevin a few seconds to put away Mr. Carter during the OMWH tour. I also love the juxtaposition of sacred music with their EDM/Synth-inspired arrangement. But what I really love about their arrangement is that it's attacking and menacing. Heap's original sounds ethereal while PTX's is straight-up in-your-face, especially with Kevin's beatboxing assaults driving the song where he wanted it to go.

 

Oh, Avi's lows dueling with Mitch's highs was nice, too. ;-)

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Sharpie66

Sharpie66

I bet that they'll be releasing a different member's picture every day this week, ending with a video release of Can't Sleep Love.

 

Going back to "Aha!", I've loved the original Heap song since So You Think You Can Dance did a group dance to it back in 2006 (I think? Season 5 of the show), and downloaded the album it's from onto my iTunes (awesome songs throughout, btw!). When I saw that PTX Vol. 1 was including it, I couldn't wait to hear it, and it's still my favorite song from that album. I know that Avi has said it's one of his favorite songs to perform in concert, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it pop up on their playlist for several more years. It's an obscure-enough song that it doesn't have a definite time-stamp, like "Somebody That I Used to Know" or "Royals" has.

kilomperrara

kilomperrara

I recall thinking that the Daft Punk tempo during the 2014 tour was faster than the video, and then thinking that during the 2015 spring tour, "Oh, they slowed it down a bit, closer to the original video".  I could be totally wrong, and tempo likely varies from performance to performance.  By the way, does anyone know - I guess they get pitch through their ear pieces, but is there any tempo info?

 

Likewise, it seems to me that they have slowed the tempo to the Christus part compared what it was at the beginning of the tour, maybe for more dramatic effect to contrast with the Aha part?  Again, I could be mistaken, and it means I watch too many of the performance videos.

 

I just saw on YT a video called jamming with pentatonix, in which (through the Children's wish foundation) a young lady sings with pentatonix.  Very nice to see them making this wish come true.

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ptxnewsandstuff

ptxnewsandstuff

'Cheerleader' just makes me happy. General public is like in 'love' with it. Non-stop press. If people actually watched to the end and caught the teaser, it was a great marketing ploy. Covering the hottest song of the summer and using it as a launching pad into original music. Might be PTX's last cover for a while.

 

They were just at an event in NYC (think it was for iHeartRadio) and lots of press stuff today as well. Really pushing for radio play. All this teasing is fun to watch, fans are freaking out and coming up with all sorts of theories.

 

Although, $25 for the #soon shirt? C'mon guys :)

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Geeze

Geeze

(edited)

In the Interview w/ StarFM | San Francisco 8/24/15 (thanks again, ptxnewsandstuff) at about 8:23 in Kevin says the new album WAS a work in progress and Mitch says quickly IS a work in progress. My GoGo Gadget Overanalyzer tells me that it's in the can but they are just tinkering with trimmings or just letting it marinate while they whip us into an admittedly self-induced frenzy.

 

I know....get help.

 

My favorite part was when the lady host was like she was on a 10-day cleanse which included no meat and Avi was like, "No MEAT?!?!

Edited by Geeze
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ptxnewsandstuff

ptxnewsandstuff

In the midst of all this album teasing, in case you missed it.

Kirstin is part of 'Clean & Clear's' #SeeTheRealMe campaign. Her blogs are an awesome read, something I look forward to every week. http://www.kirstinmaldonado.com/blog/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhO-VGqBhXU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-I5Zbmlr1I

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ptxnewsandstuff

ptxnewsandstuff

(edited)

Thoughts? Colorful, neat & simple cover. Love it. Although, Kevin looks so casual. Twitter-verse is divided.

So their website states that the album drops October 16th. There was an article floating around that said the same thing and the album is supposedly self titled, "Pentatonix." Also discovered that CSL will drop next week on the 4th thanks to a German music site (which is now also on their website) Cool artwork for this single - https://twitter.com/ptxnewsandstuff/status/63718297305445171211947862_907469379330733_363217025249547

Edited by ptxnewsandstuff
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SrPab

SrPab

(edited)

I like the graphic/image, in terms of their social media presence. But I have a nagging feeling that the album artwork will be different. For example, that German music site touting CSL releasing on Sep. 9--the image there is...something else.

 

Also, I recall an announcement awhile back (from Billboard?) that new music from the big labels would be globally-released, more or less, on Fridays--hence 9/4 and 10/16.

Edited by SrPab
ToxicUnicorn

ToxicUnicorn

Hmm.  Not a fan of Kevin's completely different look.  Also, Scott's hair immediately makes me think of Alfalfa.  From the old Little Rascals.  Avi and Kirsti look great.  Mitch ... I guess the razor cutting on the end of his bangs are an improvement?

 

Pretty excited about the new album, though.  I was just thinking of giving the Christmas one a rest.

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