The holiday season is not only rooted in tradition, but thrives on it as well. From decorating trees and hanging lights to exchanging gifts and of course, singing classic carols and holiday tunes, there is tradition everywhere. But for those craving\u00a0a modern spin on the season’s biggest songs, there is one group that is a perfect fit: Pentatonix.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The five-piece a cappella group formed in 2011, are quickly becoming a holiday staple in their own right for their arrangements of popular holiday songs and tremendous vocal ability. Comprised of Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, Pentatonix rose to prominence following their appearance and victory on the a cappella competition series The Sing Off<\/em> in 2011, which earned them a record deal.<\/p>\n Known for their impressive vocal harmonizing and riffs, as well as exceptional bass and beatbox vocals from Kaplan and Olusola, respectively, Pentatonix has taken to Youtube to brilliantly show off their talent. Their official\u00a0channel<\/a>\u00a0is among the site’s most popular music video channels with over 12 million subscribers, in large part due to their covers of hits from Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Meghan Trainor, Pharell and more of the world’s biggest artists.\u00a0Their increasing notoriety via Youtube,\u00a0The Sing Off <\/em>and the boost in popularity of a cappella\u00a0thanks to the Pitch Perfect<\/em> franchise has catapulted Pentatonix to become\u00a0one of today’s premier singing groups.<\/p>\n They have released four full-length studio albums along with four extended plays, including three holiday efforts. Their 2014 album That’s Christmas to Me<\/em>\u00a0landed at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, and showcased the group’s knack for modernizing songs, as evident in their chilling rendition of “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” The song even earned Pentatonix a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.<\/p>\n