Pentatonix's new video 'You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch' is downright mischievous and ultra-catchy
For those who need an explanation on the term "a cappella," who better to conjure as an example in our minds than three-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-Platinum-selling pop titans, Pentatonix? In short, a cappella music is either group or solo singing without the accompaniment of instruments.
Now, Pentatonix is significantly renowned for their contemporary twist on the style of music with the addition of snappy catchy beatboxing and playful multi-layered vocals that just feels like a nice toasty broth of musical goodness on a cold winter's Christmas day! Albeit, they have a rather fine collection of the serious, too, with 'If I Ever Fall in Love' (featuring Jason Derulo), the spirited 'Hallelujah' and the absolutely mesmerizing Daft Punk cover mix titled 'Daft Punk'. Their songs include medleys, covers and a number of their own originals.
One could bet that the original writers of 1966's 'You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch' (Thurl Ravenscroft, MGM Studio Orchestra) never imagined their mischievous number would be done in future in such a multi-layered and decorated a cappella version such as Pentatonix's. With the release of the video recently, it is only a matter of time until all us Christmas-lovers start bop-bee-doo-wopping and ski-bee-doo-wowing some beatboxing and amateurly sung vocals in public (with aplenty raised eyebrows from passersby).
"Mr. Grinch":
Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) wrote the story of the potbellied Grinch, a small part of his huge collection of the much-beloved Dr. Seuss children's book series. According to Today I foundout, the story is set in Whoville and was based on Ted Geisel’s hometown of Easthampton, Massachusetts, and the Grinch’s mountain was inspired by nearby Mount Tom. You can find another great read, more on the topic of the Grinch, here.
The video features a deep, rich vocal lead from Matt Sallee (who joined the group in 2018) at the forefront with the similar montage video editing style, and as usual, the backing members snuggly blanket their vocals with his, to produce an ultra-catchy and bounteous Christmas treat we never knew we needed to watch until now. Sallee sings in a villainous tone, and one is tempted to let out a wicked "nyahaha" in time with his amazing facial expressions. Pentatonix hold nothing back in insulting the infamous Grinch (who just simply hates Christmas) with soothing vocals, funky vocal bass and crisp beatbox beats, an aesthetic contrast that manages to capture a unique sense of the holiday spirit.
According to the group's website, its YouTube channel "boasts more than 14.5 million subscribers, yielding over 3 billion video views. Their 2015 self-titled album is certified gold after debuting #1 on Billboard’s 200."
Pentatonix members include:
Scott Hoying (Baritone), Mitch Grassi (countertenor), Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Avi Kaplan (bass) and newest member Matt Sallee.
