Pentatonix surprises me. For years, Pentatonix has talked about their goal to release an all original album: a goal they finally realized with the release of Pentatonix. Pentatonix claimed that 2015 was the right time to release an all-original album, place their covers in the background, and develop what they have to say as an artist.

I’m not too concerned with what Pentatonix has to say, but rather the manner in which they say it. Pentatonix is a pop album. Not a pop-influenced album, not a contemporary a cappella album in a pop style. A pop album. While some reviews, including those from the New York Times and Rolling Stone have hinted at this aspect of Pentatonix, I’d like to take some time to really argue and explore this in depth.

I’m not going to define pop theoretically, but I consider pop essentially to be some “average” of the music and production techniques used in top 40 music in the last five years. I don’t want to give a theoretical definition of pop because I think trying to coerce Pentatonix into that definition won’t be very successful or readable. My music theory knowledge is limited; my music production knowledge is limited, but I have listened to a lot of Pentatonix, and I’ve listened to enough pop to notice Pentatonix’s similarities to it. My argument that Pentatonix is a pop album, then, will be more bottom-up: I’ll compare Pentatonix to the Pentatonix’s previous work as well as pop songs from other artists and explain the differences and similarities.

Who?

For those who are unfamiliar with the group, Pentatonix is a five person a cappella group composed of members Scott Hoying (baritone), Mitch Grassi (tenor), Kirstie Maldonado (alto), Avi Kaplan (bass), and Kevin Olusola (vocal percussion). They won Season 3 of NBC’s The Sing Off shortly after assembling themselves in 2011. Over the past four years, they’ve developed a loyal fanbase through judicious use of social media, especially Youtube, released five albums, and signed with RCA.

“Pop?”

Multitracking

Perhaps the most noticeable change in Pentatonix when compared to their other albums is the addition of quite a bit of multitracking: recording one person over themselves. A few examples:

1. Scott’s harmonization with himself in the second verse of “New Year’s Day”.
2. Kirstie’s ad lib additions over her voice in the last chorus of “Water”.
3. Miscellaneous background “ahhs” above the three-part solo harmony in the “Sing” chorus.

Multitracking can be used to good effect. Home Free, season 4 winners of The Sing-Off and also a five member a cappella group, uses multitracking often in their albums, most noticeably when Tim Foust, their bass, has a solo (“I’ve Seen”, “Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget”, “Friends in Low Places”). But while Home Free uses multitracking to in the studio to make up for a lack of voices, Pentatonix uses it to add pop flourishes. Ad libbing over a final chorus brings to mind songs by modern pop icons Kelly Clarkson (“Heartbeat Song”) or Rihanna (“You Da One”). Self-harmonization brings similar associations to mind (“Heartbeat Song” … again, Maroon 5 - “Payphone”).

The use of such extensive and obvious multitracking in Pentatonix departs from Pentatonix’s previous studio sound. The only examples of multitracking in their previous albums are subtle. Mitch ad libs over himself singing in the background at the end of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and in “Angels We Have Heard On High” in the albums That’s Christmas To Me and PTXMas, respectively. Other multitracking examples from previous albums, if they exist, are similarly subtle; unlike Home Free, Pentatonix, in the past, would shift parts rather than multitrack them. For example, when Avi, Pentatonix’s bass, sings leads in “Standing by” and “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, I hear Scott’s distinct timbre on the bass line.

Vocal manipulation

Kirstie’s solos

Pop elements are not only present through the addition of more tracks but also through manipulation of existing tracks, especially in Kirstie’s solos.

Though Kirstie has a sweet voice, she is often overshadowed by the raw talent of Pentatonix’s other singing members: Scott’s wide range and charismatic lead, Mitch’s pure-toned high tenor, and Avi’s powerful bass. That said, Kirstie’s voice proves a valuable addition to the group, she blends well with Mitch when singing harmonies, and her unpretentious voice fits certain songs very well.

Pentatonix completely distorts Kirstie’s voice. Rather than a sweet tone, I hear a nasal tone lacking support, something I associate with the overproduced, plastic, sexy-pop-star aesthetic, not a former musical theatre student. Yes, good singers have the ability to color their voices in different ways, but this tone only seems to appear when Kirstie takes the solo, e.g. her verse in “Ref” or “Water”. While in the background, her voice seems untampered, suggesting production wizardry as the culprit.

Effects

Beyond the vocal manipulation of Kirstie’s voice in “Water”, I hear a lower, doubled octave when she sings “Timid heart/Hide my scars”. The same effect is applied on Scott’s first verse in “Ref”. While an argument could be made that this counts as multitracking, I consider this an effect because the intent is different. Whereas multitracking is a production technique to fill in additional parts, adding a lower doubled octave is a mixing technique to make vocal tracks sound fuller. Also, in Kirstie’s case, it seems likely that her solo in its original octave was pitch-shifted down, not multitracked. If Kirstie did sing the lower octave, she would have had to hit a B♭2, unlikely considering her lowest recorded note is an E3.

I also hear the use of a complementary studio technique that makes a group sound bigger on this album. For example, the “ahhh”s above the chorus of “Sing” sound full and airy, like a well-blended choir, or perhaps the backing vocals in 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love”. Whatever the name of the effect applied, its result is that I can no longer pick out individual voices backing the “ahhhs”. Any individuality that the voices possessed has been stripped, a casualty of the quest for pop sound.

This anonymity of voices is not limited to “Sing”. The same effect can be found when listening to the backing “whoa oh oh oh” line in “First Things First”, which sounds like it’s coming from a group much larger than Pentatonix. I hear Avi’s voice, but cannot tell which other members of Pentatonix sing the line.

It’s worth noting that the 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir is credited for provided backing vocals on 6/13 tracks on the album’s standard edition. The A Cappella Academy Choir’s far greater number of voices might explain why backing vocals often sound as though they are supported by a large group, but the choir does not receive credit on either “Sing” or “First Things First”.

It’s not the effects themselves that make Pentatonix pop, but the way they are used. In the past, Pentatonix used clever arranging techniques to present a fuller sound; their use of effects was subtle. In Pentatonix, the balance seems to have shifted: the effects create a fuller sound.

Vocal Percussion Simplification

More subtle but equally important is Pentatonix’s treatment of vocal percussion. Kevin’s a great vocal percussionist, and he and Avi work together to form a rhythm section.

This makes me wonder then, why his contributions on Pentatonix are so marginalized and mechanized that Kevin’s distinctive voiced “oo!”s disappear, replaced with a generic pop beat. Consider “Can’t Sleep Love”, Pentatonix’s debut single from the album. Kevin’s line consists almost entirely of “boots” and “cats”, the first sounds an amateur would learn to make. Other tracks on the album consist of similarly rudimentary beatbox technique. Kevin does augment some of his simplistic lines when performing live, but they still feel very repetitive compared to the amazing work he does, for example, in Pentatonix’s live “NSYNC Medley”.

Pentatonix is—of course—not the only a cappella album that suffers from generic vocal percussion, but normally I don’t associate this type of vocal percussion sound with a professional group, rather with an amateur group lacking an experienced vocal percussionist.

That’s not to say that all the vocal percussion on this album sounds pop-productionized. I like the groove Kevin sets in “First Things First”, and admire the diversity of sounds he uses in the bridge of the same song.

Collaborations

On the album

After Pentatonix won The Sing-Off, they were signed and then dropped by Sony’s Epic Records. After being dropped, they found success on Youtube through a series of viral covers, accumulating more views and subscribers than Beyoncé. In the past, Pentatonix has collaborated with other Youtube stars: Todrick Hall (“Wizard of Ahhhs”), Lindsey Stirling (“Radioactive” and “Papaoutai”), and Tori Kelly (“Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry, Be Happy”).

The only collaboration on this album is with Jason Derulo in “If I Ever Fall in Love”. Derulo signed to minor recording label Beluga Heights, later bought by Warner Music Group, through which he released his debut single “Whatcha Say” (citation). “Whatcha Say” charted number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

The link between Derulo’s pop roots with his performance in “If I Ever Fall in Love” is tenuous, if it exists at all. I brought his background up, though, to point out Pentatonix’s pop aspirations, which I also see reflected in their changing Youtube strategy. Pentatonix has been transitioning away from the Youtube world for some time now. Since being signed by RCA, they’ve posted one live cover to Youtube (“Evolution of Michael Jackson”), choosing to focus more on professionally produced music videos to go alongside their studio recorded tracks. Pentatonix comes with no promises to renew their original, refreshingly raw Youtube strategy. While they pay some homage to their Youtube roots in the music video for “Sing”, which features clips from Youtube-famous celebrities (e.g. Tyler Oakley and Grace Helbig) this is mostly fan-service with no concrete backing. Their channel now functions more as an afterthought than the source of their music, mirroring what more established pop stars might do.

Behind the scenes

Looking behind the scenes further reveals the pop roots from which Pentatonix was born. Pentatonix and representatives reached out top songwriters and producers. In the end, songwriters including Audra Mae (writing credits for Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, Avicii), Taylor Parks (Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Fifth Harmony), and Sam Hollander (Katy Perry, Train, Neon Trees) receive writing credits on Pentatonix alongside the five members of the group. Each songwriter, according to Pentatonix, came in to “mediate and teach [them] the ways”. Of course, this is not the first time Pentatonix has worked with professional songwriters. PTX, Vol III gives external writing credits for both “On My Way Home” and “See Through”, but Pentatonix increases the amount of collaboration by an order of magnitude.

Beyond songwriting, the group worked with pop producer Kuk Harrell (vocal production credits for Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry). After a positive first session, they decided to continue working with him. As a result, Harrell receives vocal production credits for 9/13 songs on the standard edition of the album. Pentatonix credits Harrell for bringing their sound closer to the mainstream.

Arranging style

The most nebulous aspect of this album probably strikes me the most about it. While on The Sing-Off and in their early live Youtube covers, Pentatonix developed a distinct arranging style: Avi and Kevin formed a strong rhythm and bass section that filled the mix, Scott would sing the solo, and Mitch and Kirstie would provide tight harmonies. Despite doing this every week, this simple style allowed—perhaps even forced—Pentatonix to take huge risks when arranging. Their ability to to change up songs—skipping like a record in “Video Killed the Radio Star”, adding a reggae bridge to “Stuck Like Glue”, harmonizing rap lyrics in “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us”, or adding rhythmic synchronization to “We Are Young”—garnered them critical acclaim both on The Sing Off for their futuristic style of a cappella, and for the albums they released after it, especially PTX, Vol. 1.

Pentatonix began to lose their arranging spark around their rather derivative arrangement of Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be” and the uninspired original “See Through” in PTX, Vol. III. Pentatonix’s similarly uniteresting “Misbehavin’”, “Cracked”, “Water”, and even Pentatonix’s debut single “Can’t Sleep Love” seem to lack the special spark that makes a Pentatonix arrangement so compelling. Whereas Pentatonix used to bend the rules to change existing music, it feels as if someone told the group not to stray too far from the pop formula.

On the other hand, some of Pentatonix’s tracks are a complete break with the arranging style I associate with the group. Consider the “oh” chorus backing Scott throughout “Rose Gold” or the similar “wah”s in “Ref”. I can’t file these under a specific pop trope, but they bear mention as part of the overall shift toward pop music adopted by Pentatonix.

In fact, the most old-Pentatonix moment I heard comes at the end the deluxe edition of album’s “Cheerleader”. They sing the final chorus in a three part harmony with a complex bass line. The moment I’d been waiting for during the whole album lasts only 15 seconds.

Why?

I know Pentatonix can still create novel, compelling arrangements that stay true to their style just based on the three part harmony they move into after the bridge of “Cheerleader”. Why don’t they, then? A naive answer might blame Pentatonix’s all-original nature, its most apparent difference from previous albums. Pentatonix has released previous original work. In fact, “Baddest Girl” and “Show You How to Love” from PTX, Vol. 1 continue to be among my favorite Pentatonix songs of all time.

I’d point to the context of this album as the culprit for its sound. As I mentioned, Pentatonix worked with pop songwriters and producers to create this album. Coming from a pop background, these behind the scenes creators of Pentatonix likely had a huge influence on the sound of the album.

All this said, placing responsibility for the sound of this album only on the external songwriters, the producers, or the other people involved behind the scenes denies Pentatonix agency. Pentatonix is mature enough to stick to their artistic vision. They’ve received plenty of pressure over the years to migrate away from a cappella music, but have chosen to stick to their a cappella roots.

On the other hand, Pentatonix has also craved mainstream attention. Understanding the tension between these two conflicting interests elucidates the motivation behind Pentatonix: Pentatonix wanted a pop sound for this album. They knew that only a pop album would get them radio airplay and launch them into national recognition.

Is Pentatonix a contemporary a cappella album?

I’ve spent the previous sections talking about how Pentatonix is a pop album: it uses pop production techniques, was written with pop songwriters, was produced by pop professionals with a pop audience and pop goals in mind. To look on the other side of the genre coin, is it still fair to call Pentatonix contemporary a cappella? I know, the definition of a cappella is essentially “without instruments”, and Pentatonix meets this criterion.

I think this definition is a little reductive, though. Contemporary a cappella music has developed its own sound, a sound very different from other forms of a cappella, such as sacred hymns. To continue to classify a cappella as simply “without instruments” denies contemporary a cappella identity as a genre. With this frame of reference, I don’t think we can consider Pentatonix contemporary a cappella.

Pop and contemporary a cappella are not mutually exclusive categories. In fact, I’d say that the majority of scholastic groups and semi-professional and professional groups have a pop focus. Taken as a whole, however, contemporary a cappella groups employ a wide range of techniques and arrangements: from a “listen to a song, identify parts, and transcribe them for voice” approach to an approach that seeks inspiration from different genres and pushes the boundaries of the human voice.

There is a difference though, between pop albums and contemporary a cappella albums with a pop focus. To illustrate the difference, I think it’s constructive to compare Pentatonix to the critically acclaimed 2013 album Bioluminescence from ARORA (née Sonos). ARORA says about Bioluminescence, “Two years in the making, ‘Bioluminescence’ perfectly demonstrates the cinematic dream pop sound that is ARORA, marrying dreamy vocals with striking production.” Indeed, listening to Bioluminescence, it’s easy to hear the use of many production effects, sometimes so many that the voices behind the effects are nearly impossible to discern (“Lock the Light”). I would still consider Bioluminescence to be contemporary a cappella, though.

The difference between Bioluminescence and Pentatonix is not the amount of voice production, but its purpose. The members of ARORA uses the studio to clean up the sound from their trademark looping and effects pedals, creating a more meaningful illusion. Pentatonix uses studio effects to bend the human voice closer to the existing mainstream pop sound. This creates a convincing pop album free of vocal artifacts that might turn off listeners unfamiliar with the genre.

I don’t want to claim that either Pentatonix or ARORA uses effects for a nobler cause. I like songs on Bioluminescence and Pentatonix for different reasons. I love the bass groove, haunting melody, and shimmering background vocals in “Silver Hand” on Bioluminescence. I also love the catchy hook in “Sing” and introspective and yearning “New Year’s Day” on Pentatonix, but I love them as pop songs, not as contemporary a cappella songs.

Admitting that Pentatonix has crafted a pop album forces us to reevaluate Pentatonix in a different context. Initially, Pentatonix’s appeal was niche, they competed—literally—against other a cappella groups in The Sing-Off. Over the past several years, the group has vied for a broader audience’s attention. Undeniably, they have succeeded, and now count a Grammy and a tour with pop star Kelly Clarkson as notches in their belt. With Pentatonix’s debut at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, they have cemented themselves as a player in the pop world. By being so anxious to transcend their a cappella beginnings, however, Pentatonix may have sacrificed the feature that would make them unique in an oversaturated pop market.

To move beyond the group, considering Pentatonix as a pop album has subtle but important effects on the rest of the contemporary a cappella community. In the past, Pentatonix has been hailed as the group that would bring contemporary a cappella to the mainstream, giving it legitimacy as an art form previously unrecognized by modern audiences. With their wide exposure, Pentatonix has the ability to inspire the next generation of singers, both in and outside the contemporary a cappella world.

What does it mean though, when the U.S.’s best known contemporary a cappella group releases a pop album? My fear is that equating success in contemporary a cappella with pop limits the scope of future a cappella. As I’ve said, pop does play a huge role in contemporary a cappella, but some of the most interesting a cappella releases eschew pop. As an example, I point to the critically acclaimed, delightfully strange, experimental self-titled EP by the now-defunct Boxettes. This album would sound very different were its creators convinced that their end goal was pop.

To be fair, the opposite could happen as well. Pentatonix could draw in those who would be otherwise uninterested in a cappella. Upon entering the community, these members might realize the range of music opportunities contemporary a cappella offers extends beyond pop.

Regardless of uncertainties surrounding Pentatonix’s impact on the genre and community, the group’s pop ambitions are still grounded in one concrete reality: the need to perform live. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call live performances the arbiter of a cappella, a cappella is born out of live performance, and even groups known for their use of effects in the studio (e.g. Naturally 7) must come to terms with the reality of touring. On tour, the songs in Pentatonix will lack any studio polish and the careful touch of an engineer. By Pentatonix’s own admission, they have some work to do when figuring out how to perform some of their originals live. This challenge also presents an opportunity: when Pentatonix moves their originals from the studio to the stage, they’ll have to be creative and to work within limitations. In doing this, I hope they rediscover what made them my favorite group in the first place.

Appendix A: Liner Notes

Unfortunately, the complete liner notes for Pentatonix are not available anywhere else on the Internet, so I’ve copied them here from the Target-exclusive deluxe edition of the album. I’ve made a few modifications: line breaks for readability, and title-casing words as opposed to leaving them as originally printed in all uppercase.

01 Na Na Na

(Avi Kaplan, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Taylor Parks)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Avi Kaplan Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Taylor Monet Music/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Andrew “Dru” Castro; Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Tim Jaquette at Citrus Studio A at Citrus College, Glendora CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX
Assisted by Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Additional Vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir
Mixed by Ed Boyer

02 Can’t Sleep Love

(Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Elof Loelv, Kevin Figueiredo, Teddy Peña, William Wells)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Avi Kaplan Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Kirstin Maldonado Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Elof Loelv Publishing Designee, Dream Machine Publishing/Prescription Songs (ASCAP), William F. Wells Publishing LLC
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ed Boyer
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Germano Studios, NYC; George Seara at Noble Street Studios, Toronto; Andrew “Dru” Castro; Daniel Zadenstadt, Blake Mares & David Rodriguez at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano); Luke Levielle (Noble), Jose
Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Assisted by Chris Galland & Delbert Bowers

03 Sing

(Martin Johnson, Sam Hollander, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola) Published by EMI April Music, Inc. O/B/O itself and Martin Music Inc (ASCAP), Mayday Malone Music/Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI)
Produced by Martin Johnson & Pentatonix
Engineering: Martin Johnson, Brandon Paddock & Kyle Moorman at The Lodge, West Hollywood, CA & Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Matt Greco at Dead Aunt Thelma’s Studio, Portland, OR; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX; Todd Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; Jeffery Armstreet & Gerritt Tisdale at Red Tree Recording Studio, Magnolia, TX
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production: Brandon Paddock, Kyle Moorman, Ed Boyer
Additional Gang Vocals: Martin Johnson, Sam Hollander, Brandon Paddock
Mixed by Kyle Moorman
Assistant Mixer: Martin Johnson

04 Misbehavin’

(Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Matt Rad, Ruth Anne Cunningham)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), RADASSYOUVICH/These Are Songs Of Pulse (ASCAP), These Are Songs Of Pulse (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Germano Studios, NYC; Andrew “Dru” Castro & Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX; Todd Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; Jeffery Armstreet & Gerritt Tisdale at Red Tree Recording Studio, Magnolia, TX
Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano); Jose Balaguer (Westlake)
Additional Vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir
Mixed by Ed Boyer

05 Ref

(Scott Hoying, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Taylor Parks)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Taylor Monet Music/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Andrew “Dru” Castro & Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Tim Jaquette at Citrus Studio A at Citrus College, Glendora, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX; Todd Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN
Assisted by Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Additional Vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir
Mixed by Ed Boyer

06 First Things First

(Scott Hoying, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Kevin Fisher)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Young Inventions/Where Da Kasz At (BMI) Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Co-produced by Drew Pearson
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Andrew “Dru” Castro, Rob Cohen, David Rodriguez at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX
Assisted by Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Mixed by Ed Boyer

07 Rose Gold

(Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Andrew Pearson, Stephen Wrabel)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Avi Kaplan Publishing (BMI), Drewyeah Music/Songs of Pulse Recording (BMI), Wrabelwritten/These Are Pulse Songs (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Andrew “Dru” Castro; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Germano Studios, NYC; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX; Todd Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN
Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano)
Mixed by Ed Boyer

08 If I Ever Fall in Love Feat. Jason Derulo

(Carl E. Martin)
Published by Gasoline Alley Music/Songs of Universal (BMI), Cameo Appearance by Ramses Music/Songs of Universal (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Frank Ramirez at Encore Recording Studios, Burbank, CA
Mixed by Ed Boyer
Jason Derulo appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

09 Cracked

(Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Talay Riley, Christopher J. Baran)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Avi Kaplan Publishing (BMI), Sonyatv [sic] Music Publishing UK LTD. (PRS/BMI), Clandestine Sonics/These Are Songs of Pulse/MXM (ASCAP) (Admin. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Andrew “Dru” Castro, Rob Cohen, David Rodriguez at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX
Assisted by Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Additional Vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir
Mixed by Ed Boyer

10 Water

(Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Audra Mae)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Kirstin Maldonado Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp./AMAEB (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Geramo Studios, NYC, Andrew “Dru” Castro & Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano); Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Mixed by Ed Boyer

11 Take Me Home

(Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Audra Mae)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Kirstin Maldonado Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp./AMAEB (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Ben Bram
Engineering: Eric Blomquist at Riverrock Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX Assisted by Kevin Israel (Riverrock), Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Mixed by Grant Cornish at Endless Noise, Santa Monica, CA

12 New Years Day

(Martin Johnson, Sam Hollander, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola)
Published by EMI April Music, Inc. O/B/O itself and Martin Music Inc (ASCAP), Mayday Malone Music/Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI)
Produced by Martin Johnson & Pentatonix
Co-produced by Drew Pearson
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Martin Johnson, Brandon Paddock & Kyle Moorman at The Lodge, West Hollywood, CA & Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Jeffery Armstreet & Gerritt Tisdale at Red Tree Recording Studio, Magnolia, TX
Additional Production: Brandon Paddock, Kyle Moorman
Additional Gang Vocals: Martin Johnson, Brandon Paddock
Mixed by Kyle Moorman
Additional vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir

13 Light in the Hallway

(Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Audra Mae)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp./AMAEB (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Ben Bram
Engineering: Eric Blomquist at Riverrock Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Michael Greene at Metcom Studios Salt Lake City, UT; Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Assisted by Kevin Israel (Riverrock), Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Mixed by Grant Cornish at Endless Noise, Santa Monica, CA

14 Where Are Ü Now

(Sonny Moore, Jason Boyd, Justin Bieber, Jared Evan, Thomas Wesley Pentz)
Published by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP), Bieber Time Publishing (Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP), Hitco South/Music of Windswept, Poo Bz Publishing/Music of Windswept (ASCAP), Copface/Kobalt Music Publishing America, Copyright Control, I Like Turtles Music/Songs of SMP (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Ben Bram
Engineering: Michael Greene at Metcom Studios Salt Lake City, UT; Matt Greco at Dead Aunt Thelma’s Studio, Portland, OR; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX
Mixed by Ed Boyer

15 Cheerleader

(Omar Samuel Pasley, Clifton Dillon, Mark Bradford, Sly Dunbar, Ryan Dillon)
Published by Ultra Music Publishing Europe AG, Ultra Music Publishing Europe AG A/C Coco Plum Music
Produced by Pentatonix
Engineering: David Rodriguez at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Todd Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; George Seara at Noble Street Studios, Toronto
Assisted by Thomas Warren (Westlake), Chris Ashburn (Starstruck), Luke Levielle (Noble)
Mixed by Ed Boyer

16 Lean On

(Karen Marie Ørsted, Thomas Pentz, William Grigahcine, Philip Meckseper, Steve Guess)
Published by Reverb America Music, Inc. (BMI), Songs Music Publishing, LLC OBO I Like Turtles Music (ASCAP)/Songs of SMP (ASCAP), Get Familiar Music (ASCAP), Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix & Ben Bram
Engineering: Kyle Stevens & Hernan Castaneda at Henson Recording Studios, Studio A, Hollywood, CA; Robert Sewell at Orb Recording Studios, Austin, TX; Todo Tidwell at Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN
Mixed by Ed Boyer

17 Can’t Sleep Love Feat. Tink

(Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Elof Loelv, Kevin Figueiredo, Teddy Peña, William Wells, Trinity Home)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Mitch Grassi Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Avi Kaplan Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Kirstin Maldonado Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Elof Loelv Publishing Designee, Dream Machine Publishing/Prescription Songs (ASCAP), William F. Wells Publishing LLC, All Green Lights (ASCAP)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ed Boyer
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Germano Studios, NYC; George Seara at Noble Street Studios, Toronto; Andrew “Dru” Castro; Daniel Zadenstadt, Blake Mares & David Rodriguez at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano); Luke Levielle (Noble), Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Tink’s vocals recorded by Brian Cabantuan at Pressure Point Recording Studios, Chicago, IL
Mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Assisted by Chris Galland & Delbert Bowers
Tink appears coutresy of Mosley Music/Epic Records, A Division of Sony Music Entertainment

18 To the River

(Scott Hoying, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, Kevin Fisher)
Published by Sony/ATV Ballad/Scott Hoying Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Ballad/Olumusik Publishing (BMI), Young Inventions/Where Da Kasz At (BMI)
Produced by Pentatonix & Kuk Harrell
Vocals produced by Kuk Harrell for Suga Wuga Music, Inc.
Additional Production by Ben Bram
Engineering: Pat Thrall; Kenta Yonesaka & Kuk Harrell at Geramo Studios, NYC, Andrew “Dru” Castro; Rob Cohen at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA Assisted by Jason Staniulis & Matthew Sim (Germano); Jose Balaguer & Christian Humphreys (Westlake)
Additional vocals by 2015 A Cappella Academy Choir
Mixed by Ed Boyer

19 Problem (live from On My Way Home)

(Ariana Grande, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Illya Salmanzadeh, Amethyst Kelly)
Published by Grandarimusic (ASCAP), MXM Music AB (ASCAP) (Adm. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Inc.), Wolf Cousins/WB Music Corp. (ASCAP/STIM), Amethyst Kelly Publishing Designee/Grand Hustle Anthems (ASCAP)

20 Aha! (live from On My Way Home)

(Imogen Heap)
Published by Megaphonic Limited/WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

All songs arranged by Pentatonix and Ben Bram except: “Na Na Na” and “First Things First” Arranged by Pentatonix
Mastered by Dave Kutch at the Mastering Palace, NYC