Why Pentatonix Was the A Cappella Group to Break Through
Pentatonix was not the first group to win The Sing-Off, nor the first a cappella group to land a major record deal, but the quintet are, by far, the genre's most successful act today. This year was a massive one for Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, and it's because they're a lot savvier than people give them credit for. There's a reason why no other a cappella group is making the moves that PTX is making right now.
After winning Season 3 of The Sing-Off in 2011, the group was signed and later dropped from Epic Records. Beatboxer Kevin said in an interview earlier this year that the label "didn't believe that a cappella music could have a significant place in the industry." In hindsight, that setback may have been a blessing in disguise for an act trying to break a music industry that hadn't proven they were at all into a cappella yet.
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