On Oct. 16, 2015, a cappella sensation Pentatonix released their sixth album, "Pentatonix."
The winner of "The Sing-Off" in 2011, Pentatonix are known for their covers of pop songs such as “Somebody That I Used To Know," “Radioactive” and “Starships."
Throughout their first three volumes, the a cappella group has written and sung original songs along with covers and mash-ups. This album, however, is the group’s first self-titled original album.
Despite the album bringing back fond memories of "Pitch Perfect" and "Cups," this album is more similar to "Pitch Perfect 2," where the jokes were forced and the acting was not like it used to be.
The first two songs of the album are a reminder of why a cappella groups should just stick to cover songs. “Can't Sleep Love” makes you feel uncomfortable as you decide whether it sounds like new music or the "Pitch Perfect" rendition of “I Saw the Sign." It actually has the same rhythm. The third song, “Sing,” resembles the middle school craze of “High School Musical,” and the next two songs are the same — if not worse.
The song “Water” keeps the awkwardness going with lyrics that sound like a 13-year-old wrote them and a sound reminiscent of Demi Lovato when she was acting on Disney Channel.
A cappella groups are well known for their voices but not so much for their lyricism. The phrase “I need you like water” is very unoriginal and very bland. Of all the similes in the world, Pentatonix went with "water."
The last thing that needs to be mentioned is the fact that this original album includes the songs “Where Are Ü Now," “Cheerleader” and “Lean On” by Jack Ü, OMI and Major Lazer and DJ Snake, respectively. Yes, the album says that the songs were written and sung by Pentatonix, but it is just the group going back to covers for three of the last songs on the deluxe album.
This move is one of the reasons why this album does not receive an F rating.
There is a point in "Pitch Perfect 2" where one person says that they should never do original songs, and that person is right. These last three tracks of Pentatonix are a reminder for the group to just stick to what they do best.
Album: Pentatonix (Deluxe Version)
Artist: Pentatonix
Release Date: Oct. 16, 2015
Label: RCA Records
Grade: D