The latest taste of Pentatonix's upcoming original album is refreshing new work from the acapella quintet.
-
8
Pentatonix is a band that are perhaps more famous for their covers of existing music in an acapella form. It wouldn’t be that far of a stretch to say that they revitalised the medium and made it ‘popular’ once more. Coming to worldwide attention on YouTube for their cover of “Radioactive”, they’ve had chart-topping albums and world tours.
The quintet’s second original single in five years, “Be My Eyes” was co-written by member and mezzo-soprano of the group Kirstin Maldonado, who also takes the lead vocals for the track. In addition to the track, the announcement also came with a date for the upcoming album, now confirmed to be released in February 2021.
It’s listening to this that I came to realise something: Kirstin Maldonado does not get enough solos within the band. “Be My Eyes” showcases the melodic synergy of Kirstin’s power and talent that can sometimes be lost when she takes a more supporting vocal role within the band. But the song in its entirety is stunning. It’s relatively upbeat but not as intense as other singles Pentatonix have released in the past. This is something you could quite easily find playing on the radio by another familiar artist. And that’s no slate on their work – rather it is a testament that they can fit so well into a niche and likely ascend in the charts at the same time.
Both in production quality and audio, the single stands out among Pentatonix’s recent content from EP At Home; with those recent singles including covers of “Blinding Lights” and “Break My Heart”, each being recorded and filmed in their own homes. Everything here is beautifully staged, with glamourous sets, stunning uses of reflections; a round of applause must go to the team working behind the scenes to make it look so magnificent. One YouTube comment described its beauty perfectly, in that every frame could be a computer wallpaper. The way eyes and reflections were highlighted in even the simplest shots was a dedication to the craft that suited the cuts and sweeping moves through suspended glass or a table of crystal.
I hope we get more singles with her as their lead vocalist. If “Be My Eyes” is anything to go by, then the new age of Pentatonix is going to be magnificent.
“Be My Eyes” is available to listen to now via RCA Records. The Lucky Ones is out February 15th, 2021.
