Pentatonix

A five-person a cappella group originally from Arlington, Texas, Pentatonix first found a national spotlight by winning the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2011. With a decidedly contemporary spin on the format and unique strengths at each position in their lineup, they followed the appearance with a string of Top Ten albums, multiple Grammy Awards, and international chart success. In addition to their popular covers and original songs — they charted with both Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and their own “Can’t Sleep Love” — some of the quintet’s biggest hits have come with holiday standards. They reached the Billboard Top 20 with their version of “Little Drummer Boy” in 2013, and the album A Pentatonix Christmas went to number one in 2017. Marking a decade since their Sing-Off win, The Lucky Ones (a set of original music) saw release in 2021, followed by the holiday productions Evergreen and 2022′s Holidays Around the World.
Formed by high school friends Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying, the group got their start after their version of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga’s “Telephone,” recorded for a local Glee-related contest, started garnering attention on YouTube. The band then added members Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, renamed themselves Pentatonix, and auditioned for The Sing-Off. Standing out for their unexpected stylistic range, which found them covering songs in such styles as electronica, reggae, R&B, dubstep, and more, Pentatonix ultimately won The Sing-Off performing Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.”
The group relocated to Los Angeles and released a debut EP, PTX, Vol. 1, in 2012, featuring versions of “Starships” by Nicki Minaj and “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye. The inevitable PTXmas and their debut on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno followed later that year. Another EP the next year, PTX, Vol. 2, featured versions of hits by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Calvin Harris, as well as “Daft Punk,” which won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. In December 2013, they reached number 13 on the Hot 100 with their spin on “Little Drummer Boy.” PTX, Vol. 3, released in September 2014, included three originals and four covers, including “Problem” by Ariana Grande and a version of Disclosure’s “Latch” called “La La Latch.” The next month brought their second holiday release, That's Christmas to Me. Subsequently awarded a platinum certification from the RIAA, its “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” won the group a second Grammy.
In 2015, Pentatonix delivered their fourth studio album, an eponymously titled release of all-original material that topped the Billboard 200. The record’s lead single, “Can’t Sleep Love,” landed in the Hot 100. In the meantime, they also had a cameo in the hit musical film Pitch Perfect 2. The following summer, they reworked Ray Parker, Jr.’s Ghostbusters theme for the 2016 reboot of the film franchise, and in September 2016 the group released a version of “Jolene” featuring Dolly Parton. The latter ultimately won them a third Grammy, this time for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. That October, they issued A Pentatonix Christmas, which became their second number one, platinum-selling recording, given an extra boost with the NBC-televised A Pentatonix Christmas Special in December. It featured a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that hit the Top 25 in the U.S. as well as Canada and parts of Europe, where it topped the singles chart in Austria.
Pentatonix returned with more music early in 2017 with PTX, Vol. 4: Classics, which featured “Jolene” as well as a cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The EP made the Top Ten in Canada, Australia, and the U.S., reaching number four on the Billboard 200. In the first change to their lineup, Kaplan parted ways with the group and was replaced at bass by Matt Sallee, who appeared on the April 2018 covers album PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1. Featuring their version of Camila Cabello’s hit single “Havana,” it peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length of the year, Christmas Is Here!, saw release that October and reached the number seven spot. The 19-track The Best of Pentatonix Christmas followed in October 2019 and included four previously unreleased songs.
Another seasonal album, We Need a Little Christmas, appeared in November 2020, debuting at number 30 on the U.S. album chart. It was followed four months later by The Lucky Ones, a set of original songs produced by Matthew Koma. Consisting of one original song and 13 covers, Evergreen, the group’s fifth holiday-themed album, arrived in October 2021 and landed at 72 on the Billboard 200. Another charting holiday-themed production, Holidays Around the World, was released in 2022 in conjunction with a Disney+ special. Included were guest appearances by Meghan Trainor, Lang Lang, Hiba Tawaji, and Lea Salonga, among others. An original song, “I Rise,” appeared in August 2023. ~ Matt Collar & Marcy Donelson