Pentatonix is one of the most well-known a cappella groups that is still active today. They came to fame after winning an NBC reality show in 2011, and they have been going strong ever since. Though the quintet has lived most of their career in the spotlight, there are still some things about Pentatonix that most people do not know. Here, PPcorn presents our list of 15 facts you probably didn’t know about Pentatonix.
Number Fifteen: They Have Personal Ties to Pitch Perfect‘s Bellas
Scott Hoying of Pentatonix actually went to college with one of the Bellas in Pitch Perfect. The band members are also part of Pitch Perfect 2.
Number Fourteen: Choir Nerds Were the Cool Kids at Their School
Kirstin Maldonado has said that she really enjoyed high school, even though she was “such a loser.” According to the guys in Pentatonix, “We went to a great high school. It was huge. There were like 4,000 people at our high school and our choir program and theater was like 500 people and so we might have been nerdy, but we were in a pool of 500, so it was a great community.”
Number Thirteen: They Are Math and Science Nerds
Maldonado said that she really enjoyed the subject of chemistry in high school. Hoying also admitted that he found “something comforting” in math and chemistry. Whatever that means.
Number Twelve: They Refuse to Cover Taylor Swift
Because the group has to sing perfectly live (they perform a cappella, after all), finding and choosing songs that fit all of their vocal ranges can be tough. They were planning on covering Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble,” but it just wasn’t working for them, so they dropped it.
Number Eleven: They Love Energy Drinks
To wake themselves up when they are tired, the group uses champagne and red bull to get amped up before a show. They also eat pita chips, hummus, salsa, and beef jerky when they are on tour.
Number Ten: Maldonado Gets Special Treatment
Since she is the only girl in the group, Maldonado gets special treatment from the rest of the members. She gets her own dressing room, and the guys will come and visit her in her separate space as well.
Number Nine: They Are Happy Not to Be Perfect
It’s true! The group has no problem discussing each other’s flaws, which is important to maintain an honest dynamic.
Number Eight: They Look Up to Queen Bee
Just like everyone else in their 20s, the members of Pentatonix look up to Beyonce. Hoying even had a vision board that included himself holding a Grammy with Beyonce!
Number Seven: No, Scott and Mitch Are Not Married
In an interview the group did with Entertainment Weekly, they said that many people believe that the two are married. In reality they definitely are not.
Number Six: Their Friendship Has Truly Grown Over Time
When asked if they could pinpoint the moment in their career when they transitioned from best friends to band mates, Olusola said, “That’s just grown over time…Coming into this, we didn’t know each other very well…Now that we understand each other so well, we understand how to make things work because we know each person’s dynamic and character.”
Number Five: Olusola Is Friends With Lupita Nyong’o
Olusola went to Yale, and Lupita went to Yale Drama School. When one of Pentatonix’s videos came out, Nyong’o emailed Olusola to congratulate him.
Number Four: They Are Not Interested in Hard Rock
In an interview, Olusola said that it would be difficult for them to cover hard rock songs, especially because they are an a cappella group. However, they have said that they have their own sound, so maybe they will one day!
Number Three: They Watch Puppy Videos
The members have admitted in an interview that even they are not immune to the suctioning power of the YouTube k-hole. Hoying said, “I watch all sorts of weird sh*t on YouTube. And then I always end up with, like, ‘Guy puts 14 tennis balls in his mouth.'”
Number Two: Their Advice for People Looking to Form Their Own A Cappella Group Is…
Grassi has said that his advice for people who want to form their own groups is, “Be passionate.”
Number One: Pentatonix Might do Secret Santa
When asked if they would ever do a Secret Santa-like arrangement with each other, the members said that they “totally” would! Who knows – maybe they will this year!