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A capella group Pentatonix sings ‘Evolution of Music,’ gets 130 million views on YouTube
They've had some great performances, but they outdid themselves with this one!
Laura Shallcross
02.24.20

Music has changed massively since the 11th century.

But it’s hard to document that change without, well, singing it. And that’s exactly what a YouTube viral acapella group did, amassing over 130,815,464 views (and counting)!

Over a period of just four minutes, American pop group Pentatonix managed to cover 1000 years of music. The group’s medley covered some of their favorite songs spanning many years, and the result makes for a highly enjoyable listen.

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Included in the medley are classic hits from the most notable eras.

Some of these hits included “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash, The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” The Jackson 5’s “ABC and Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.”

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wikipedia.org

The medley also includes popular tunes from more recent years, including “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”

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The video was made by the original five members of Pentatonix: Mitch Grassi, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying and Kevin Olusola.

Kaplan takes the low tones, the bass notes, and the beatboxing. Grassi and Maldonado take the high notes, while Hoying and Olusola take on the mid-tones.

The group formed in 2011 to perform in NBC’s The Sing-Off. After winning NBC’s a cappella singing competition, they decided to use YouTube as a platform to promote their music.

Since then, their star has only been rising—and this performance is just another great example!

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YouTube Screenshot

Pentatonix has covered hundreds of songs in the pop, rock and R&B genres, to name a few.

They’ve amassed 17.8 million subscribers on YouTube, making them one of the most popular a cappella bands of the century.

Off YouTube, the group has seen just as much success. They’ve been featured on several NBC Christmas specials, among the likes of Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.

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wikipedia.org

They won a Grammy, various YouTube Music Awards, and a Shorty Award. They also toured with huge pop singers like Kelly Clarkson.

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People seem to love the cheery quintet for their fresh, unique and upbeat sound.

They nail every song to perfection, hitting their notes with clarity. They effortlessly roll from one song into another in a way that only performers of true talent could master!

When today’s music is so repetitive in style, we enjoy hearing a new take on what’s already out there. A cappella is special in that the singers act as the instruments and the voices. They create an entire piece of music using their mouths alone. And there’s no denying Pentatonix do this very well.

Still, Pentatonix’s lineup has seen a lot of changes in recent years. Old band members have been replaced with new ones, so the group looks very different.

Even so, their classic, quirky singing style remains true to form.

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YouTube Screenshot

So, what exactly are the original Pentatonix members up to nowadays?

Olusola is the only member to remain in Pentatonix. Kaplan was the first to leave the group in 2017, citing personal reasons. Maldonado went on to tour with the musical Kinky Boots and released her own solo album. Grassi and Hoying host a popular YouTube channel called Superfruit that consists of challenge videos and vlogs.

They might have gone their own ways, but they’re definitely not missing out on success.

Watch the full video below and prepare to form a new musical obsession!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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