Pentatonix (album)

Last updated
Pentatonix
Pentatonix (album).png
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 16, 2015
Recorded2015
Genre
Length41:55
Label RCA
Producer
Pentatonix chronology
That's Christmas to Me
(2014)
Pentatonix
(2015)
A Pentatonix Christmas
(2016)
Singles from Pentatonix
  1. "Cheerleader"
    Released: August 21, 2015
  2. "Can't Sleep Love"
    Released: September 4, 2015
  3. "Where Are Ü Now"
    Released: September 25, 2015
  4. "Sing"
    Released: October 16, 2015
  5. "If I Ever Fall in Love"
    Released: February 15, 2016

Pentatonix is the fourth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix, which was released on October 16, 2015. [1]

Contents

The release date was announced on Twitter by a series of pictures featuring the five band members released over a five-day-span, with one band member added to the picture each day, culminating in the date being revealed on August 28. [1] It is the group's seventh release overall in their discography. [2]

This is the first release of the band to feature predominantly original material (the only covers being the cover of Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" and the bonus tracks on the deluxe version of the album). Pentatonix also marks the first time band members receive individual songwriting credits for the majority of the tracks.

Pentatonix debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart with 98,000 album-equivalent units, with the album being their first No. 1 album on the chart.

Critical reception

The album received mostly positive reviews from critics. Matt Collar of AllMusic wrote, "Ultimately, by moving away from cover tunes, Pentatonix have helped push the a cappella style even further into the pop spotlight. That the only instruments they've used to do it are their voices makes their achievement all the more impressive." [3]

In an online review, Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone gave the album a 2.5 out of 5 star review, criticizing the lyrics and saying that the album "lacks any oomph to go with their well-honed chops." [4]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 8 in New Zealand [5] and number 1 on the US Billboard 200. [6] In the US, the album started with 98,000 album-equivalent units (88,000 in pure album sales). [6]

Track listing

Pentatonix Standard edition [7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Na Na Na"Mitch Grassi2:35
2."Can't Sleep Love"
  • Scott Hoying
  • Grassi
2:53
3."Sing"
  • Hoying
  • Kaplan
  • Grassi
  • Olusola
2:57
4."Misbehavin'"
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
3:42
5."Ref"
  • Hoying
  • Olusola
  • Parks
3:14
6."First Things First"
  • Hoying
  • Olusola
  • Kevin Fisher
Hoying2:41
7."Rose Gold"Hoying3:43
8."If I Ever Fall in Love" (Shai cover featuring Jason Derulo)Carl Martin
  • Derulo
  • Hoying
3:14
9."Cracked"
Hoying2:54
10."Water"
Maldonado3:11
11."Take Me Home"
  • Olusola
  • Maldonado
  • Mae
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
2:56
12."New Year's Day"
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
  • Olusola
  • Johnson
  • Hollander
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
3:37
13."Light in the Hallway"
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
  • Mae
Kaplan4:14
Pentatonix Deluxe edition [8]
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
14."Where Are Ü Now"
  • Grassi
  • Hoying
2:51
15."Cheerleader"
  • Grassi
  • Hoying
  • Maldonado
3:03
16."Lean On"Grassi2:40
17."Can't Sleep Love" (featuring Tink)
  • Hoying
  • Grassi
  • Tink
3:33
Total length:54:30
Pentatonix Deluxe Target exclusive version [9]
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
18."To the River"
  • Olusola
  • Hoying
  • Fisher
  • Grassi
  • Kaplan
  • Hoying
3:42
19."Problem" (live)
  • Hoying
  • Olusola
  • Grassi
  • Kaplan
2:24
20."Aha!" (live) Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap Grassi3:11
Total length:1:03:21

Personnel

Pentatonix
Additional personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [32] Gold40,000
United States (RIAA) [33] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

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Pentatonix are an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and Kevin Olusola. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, scat singing, riffing, vocal percussion, and beatboxing, they produce cover versions of modern pop works or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Pentatonix was formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. When Sony's Epic Records dropped the group after The Sing-Off, the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through Madison Gate Records, a label owned by Sony Pictures.

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