Pentatonix - The Lucky Ones

4.1

Rating

4.1/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Vocal perfection in the Pentatonix way
Wide range of songs

Flyctory.com Cons

Some songs are not that catchy

The Pentatonix are truly a synonym for top class a capella music. On 12th February 2021, they are already releasing their ninth studio album, The Lucky Ones. I definitely felt to share my thoughts with you.

Pentatonix – About The Artists

The Pentatonix (short: PTX) are a five people a capella group from Arlington, Texas. They currently consist of Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee. They sing together since 2011 and made a huge step towards national popularity in the USA by joining the third season of the former NBC a capella band show, The Sing-Off. They finally won that edition of the song. They received massive popularity in their home country. For example, Barack Obama watched one of their shows during his presidency. Furthermore, they won three Grammy Awards.

They so far released eight studio albums, three of them featuring Christmas songs. Their first seasonal album, That’s Christmas To Me, was an international breakthrough for the artists, having Top 20 album chart placements in the USA, Canada, Austria and Japan. Two Pentatonix albums topped the US album charts. The most successful single so far is likely the 2016 Hallelujah featured on the A Pentatonix Christmas album.

Pentatonix – The Lucky Ones – Track by Track

The eleven song album lasts 36 minutes.

1. Happy Now

Am I happy now, right now
With or without you, right now
Am I happy now, just me
Me myself and I
Am I, am I

The song starts with a typical Pentatonix song: Olusola drives the song with an amazing rhythmic performance as a vocal percussionist (or: beat box) – the result is an R&B style party track. Definitely Happy Now after listening to the first song already.

2. Love Me When I Don’t

When I’m too hard on myself
I don’t ask for help
When I’m not okay
I push you away
But you pull me close
Cause you always know
How to love me when I don’t

The chorus of Love Me When I Don’t, which is arranged like a choir with all voices in parallel, is extremely catching. Beautiful track.

3. Coffee In Bed

If you ask yourself, why they love these five guys over there in the United States, listen to Coffee In Bed and be aware of there are no instruments in the recording. The pop track feels so rich, so complete. The level of perfection of sound is almost frightening.

4. Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is one of the songs which have been released before the album. Wise choice: the song somehow comes with a timeless sounds – it reminds me of some 1980’s songs as well as modern ones. And it comes with that special perfection I already stated about Coffee In Bed. Lovely!

5. A Little Space

A Little Space is one of my favorites on the album. It just comes with a nice rhythm, the chorus comes with a nice hook.

6. Side

Side is a very slow track. To me, it feels a bit too monotonous and thus boring. I enjoy “PTX” more when their voices interact, when they surprise and entertain me with rhythmic and groovy tracks.

7. Bored

After stating that Side was a bit too slow in my point of view, a song called Bored is maybe not the best next track. But in fact I like this seventh song on the album. Not a super-rhythmic party smasher (even though the song gains more and more power towards the end), but a decent pop track with a touch of soul.

8. Exit Signs

If you don’t listen to the lyrics and just enjoy the melody, Exit Signs could easily be one of the recordings on a Pentatonix Christmas album. Very cozy and harmonic atmosphere.

9. Never Gonna Cry Again

I change myself for the internet
Design my piece of mind
I sold my soul
I’m a shell of it
Cause if everybody loves me
Then I’m never gonna cry again

This song is indeed one of the tracked which caught me most during the review. First of all, the sounds created by the five vocalists fascinates me. On top of that, I can deeply relate to the lyrics of the song. Beauty.

10. It’s Different Now

It’s Different Now is a lovely piano ballad. To me, it is not too much a signature PTX sound – you might this one on the album of better multi-vocal acts as well. Of course, still a great listen if performed by this Texas quintet.

11. The Lucky Ones

The closing track of the album is the title one, The Lucky Ones. A track on which the band is looking back to their amazing band history. Nice finisher.

Still can’t believe we were the lucky ones
Look how far we’ve come

Pentatonix – The Lucky Ones – Spotify

Here is the Spotify widget to The Lucky Ones:

Pentatonix – The Lucky Ones – My View

The Lucky Ones is indeed another great showcase of the talent of the Pentatonix. However, I would not go to the very highest rankings with the album. There are definitely some great, catchy songs and deep moments on the album. On the other hand, there are just some weaker tracks as well (weaker on the PTX scale at least). If you love a capella sounds, you will have pre-ordered The Lucky Ones anyway. But it is definitely a nice listen for all others as well.

US Pop Music Reviews

Here are all Flyctory.com media reviews about Pop Music from the USA:

Kendall Lujan – Lucky Penny

Kendall Lujan's music is an interesting blend of different genres. She is mixing folk, country, pop and jazz in her ...

Gary Louris – Dark Country

Gary Louris is a quite well-known artist in the alternative country and rock music scene. The US-American turned professional in ...

Jenn Bostic – Love You Right EP

Right before Jenn Bostic is having a couple of shows in the United Kingdom, the US-American singer-songwriter is releasing new ...

Flipturn – Burnout Days

Flipturn had great success with their releases so far. Songs like August, released in 2018, come with almost 60 million ...

White Denim – 12

The album 12 by the band White Denim in fact contains twelve songs. However, that's not the rationale behind the title - ...

The Innocence Mission – Midwinter Swimmers

In two years, the US-American alternative rock and indie folk band celebrate their fourteenth band anniversary. After their most recent ...

Niko Moon – These Are The Nights EP

So far, Niko Moon has been really successful in country music business. After releasing an album early this year, he ...

OUDi – Everybody Dies

The Sons of Daughters have been a Canadian country music duo, consisting of Jimmy Thow and Chrystal Leigh. Chrystal is ...

Jenna Davis – Sike EP

Almost two million followers on Instagram, even five million on TikTok - Jenna Davis can definitely not complain about a ...

Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns

Kelsea Ballerini has been one of the first female country music artists I ran into in my journey into the ...

Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken

The Grammy Awards nominated him as Best New Artist, the People's Choice Awards chose him as The Male Country Artist of the ...

Sarah Darling – Canyon

4th October 2024 is a special day for Sarah Darling fans. Not only that this one is Sarah's 42ns birthday, ...

Danielle Bradbery – Danielle

Danielle Bradbery has been one of the first artists I ran into when I started following country music more intensively ...

Finish Ticket – Echo Afternoon

Despite Finish Ticket are looking back to 15 years of band history, Echo Afternoon is just their sophomore album. The US-American ...

Morgan Wade – Obsessed

After the 2021 album Reckless and the 2023 Psychopath, this review of Obsessed is already the third album I cover from Morgan Wade. The US-American ...

Brigitte Calls Me Baby – The Future Is Our Way Out

Brigitte Calls Me Baby could be a name of a German band. However, this alternative rock act is coming from ...

Cigarettes After Sex – X’s

Sold-out shows in the largest venues all across the world - the dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex grew a massive ...

Imagine Dragons – Loom

The Imagine Dragons have been one of the key US American acts of the 2010's. Thus, I was really curious ...

Lindsey Stirling – Duality

I have to give in - as a music blogger, I should have known Lindsey Stirling way before 17th May ...

Diane Birch – Flying On Abraham

It is more than ten years ago since singer-songwriter Diane Birch released her latest album. On 12th April 2024, she ...

Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me

I featured Maggie Roggers twice so far, in the Songs of the Week editions as of 3rd June 2022 and as ...

Norah Jones – Visions

From jazz to folk and country tunes - the range of music by nine time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones ...

Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers

With Polaroid Lovers, I feature a rather exciting album which is released on 26th January 2024. Sarah Jarosz is a ...

Wagging – My Own Private Radio

While I am packed with new releases as of next week and later, the album and single releases as of ...

Dennis Durant – Fragile

How could I ignore am album starting with a (for me) very special song released on a (for me) very ...

D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings – Sophomore

What could be a better name for your second album than simply naming it Sophomore? That's what Nick D'Virgilio, Neal Morse ...

The Joni Project – Shades of Blue

Roberta John Joni Mitchell is a Canadian-US-American singer-songwriter, who majorly did folk and pop music in her career. She has won ...

Robert Finley – Black Bayou

Robert Finley has a quite remarkable career. Born in 1954, he spend most of his life as a semi-professional artist, ...

The Shindellas – Shindo

I read about the band featured in this review, The Shindellas, the following: The Shindellas are a band formed under ...

Thirty Seconds To Mars – It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day

Despite they are looking back to a quarter of a century of band history, Thirty Seconds To Mars are just ...

Dan + Shay – Bigger Houses

Love them or not - finally, you just have to admit that the duo Dan + Shay lifted country pop ...

Daniel Seavey – Dancing In The Dark EP

Most of you know David Seavey for being part of the US-American boy band Why Don't We (or WDW). The ...

Kool & the Gang – People Just Wanna Have Fun

Kool & the Gang have already been founded in 1964. Almost sixty years later, they still release music - and ...

Michael Bolton – Spark of Light

Michael Bolton is one of the most successful US-American musicians of the early 1990's. However, he is regularly releasing music ...

Ron Pope – Inside Voices

If my sources and counting are right, Inside Voices is already the 17th studio album by Americana-pop/rock artist Ron Pope. This ...

Belinda Carlisle – Kismet EP

Circle in the Sand or Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle wrote songs, which have closely accompanied in my younger ...

Jennifer K. Austin – Cards EP

In 2020, I introduced you to the US-American - New Zealand artist Jennifer K. Austin, who released her album Journey at ...

Welshly Arms – Wasted Words & Bad Decisions

Due to Good Friday on the 7th April 2023, quite some bands shift their releases in that week by one ...

Overcoats – Winner

Through a German promotion agency, I ran into the US-American indie-pop duo Overcoats. The songs of the two female artists ...

Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself

If I could wish to see an artist live on stage for the first time, Sophie B. Hawkins would definitely ...

Ripe – Bright Blues

Bright Blues by the US band Ripe was one of these albums I received without knowing anything about the artists - ...

P!nk – Trustfall

It is almost four years ago, since I had the last P!nk review on Flyctory.com. In 2019, I had mixed ...

Tennis – Pollen

Let's talk about Tennis! Not the racket sports, but a band, which is named exactly the same way. Quite an ...

Ian Fisher – Burnt Tongue

Ian Fisher is truly a musician who is somewhere between both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. He grew up on ...

Gabbie Hanna – This Time Next Year

2.8 million followers on Instagram only - Wikipedia names Gabrielle Jeannette Hanna - or simply Gabbie Hanna an internet personality. Apart ...

Upsahl – Sagittarius EP

After I introduced you to the US musician Upsahl in a Spotlight interview in April 2022, I am happy to ...

Myle – Sad Boy Summer EP

Myle has definitely been a raising artist in Germany during the last to years. He played the important SWR3 New ...

Tiffany Johnson – Over Emotional EP

The EP Over Emotional by country artist Tiffany Johnson was definitely one of the 4th November 2022 I was looking forward ...

Debbie Gibson – Winterlicious

In 1987, Debbie Gibson became the youngest artist who wrote, produced and performed a song, which finally made to the ...

Backstreet Boys – A Very Backstreet Christmas

The Backstreet Boys sing for Santa - on 14th October 2022, the massively successful male combo releases their very first ...

Richard Marx – Songwriter

Richard Marx's 2020 album Limitless definitely blew my mind. It did not only make it easily into the Top Pick! ratings, ...

LeAnn Rimes – God’s Work

Songs like How Do I Live and Can't Fight the Moonlight made LeAnn Rimes a globally famous artist. On 16th September 2022, she is ...

Kane Brown – Different Man

Half a billion streams with a single song on YouTube only - songs like Heaven illustrate that Kane Brown is indeed a ...

Jeremy Black – Part of Me EP

Sometimes, I just need to dare doing something new on Flyctory.com. Like this review. Jeremy Black is doing experimental electronic ...

Lauv – All 4 Nothing

All 4 Nothing is likely not true any more when you look at the career of Lauv: even though the album ...

Amanda Shires – Take It Like A Man

Take It Like A Man - that's the title of the new Amanda Shires album. After I had a really enjoyable ...

She & Him – Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson

After six years, the duo She & Him are about to release a new studio album. However, Melt Away is a ...

Confirmation – Survive EP

Survive is the debut EP by a Berlin-based project, Confirmation. I got in touch with their music and felt to share ...

Avi Kaplan – Floating On A Dream

The signature element of Avi Kaplan's music is definitely is powerful basso profondo vocal range. After three EP releases, he ...

mxmtoon – rising

Since I ran into the EP dusk by mxmtoon in 2020, I really love to follow the artist and her music. On ...

Aaron Raitiere – Single Wide Dreamer

Aaron Raitiere might not be too well-known at first sight, but especially as a songwriter, the Kentucky-origin artist has gained ...

Stephen Jay – Vita Beata

Which album would suit better this week to be the preview on Flyctory.com than Stephen Jay's Vita Beata? Just in ...

Sophia Bel – Anxious Avoidant

A debut album on Easter weekend: I simply enjoyed the voice and the very special sound of Sophia Bel, when ...

The Dip – Sticking With It

Sticking With It is the third album by the Seattle band The Dip. I received the album as a promotion ...

Michael Lane – Take It Slow

When I listened to Michael Lane's album Traveling Son in October 2019, I absolutely enjoyed the sound of the US-German artist, who ...

Boulevards – Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud

Boulevards has become quite an established act in the US funk music scene. On 11th February 2022, he is already ...

Erin Rae – Lighten Up

Erin Rae is releasing her third album Lighten Up on 4th February 2022. Her previous pop-country works have been very highly ...

Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Flood

The Altas Underground series continues: just some six weeks after Tom Morello released The Atlas Underground Fire, which was full of amazing ...

X: THC – Fall Down Seven Times, Rise Up Eight

Synthpop? Post-Punk? New Wave? It is really hard to describe the genre created by the duo X: THC. They reached ...

Cassadee Pope – Thrive

Cassadee Pope is back! Just about a year after she released the amazing EP Rise and Shine, the former The Voice winner is ...

Nox Holloway – If Only The World Didn’t Spin So Much EP

When I started to write the review of the debut EP If Only The World Didn't Spin So Much by ...

Kacey Musgraves – Star-Crossed

Will he rather head towards pop music or still keep a bit of her country music heart? There was definitely ...

David Hasselhoff – Party Your Hasselhoff

His Looking For Freedom is still thought to have been a key factor to give Germany the biggest party of ...

Echo Bloom – Wake

Echo Bloom is a very interesting band project. They released three albums so far, each dedicated to an individual genre ...

Kool & The Gang – Perfect Union

They formed new sounds and were one of the very big names in funk music - the best about Kool ...

Dan + Shay – Good Things

No doubt - not only after their massive success 10,000 Hours alongside Justin Bieber or their big hit Tequila, Dan + Shay ...

Torres – Thirstier

Fifth album by indie-rock artist Torres: I ran into the new release of the Florida born singer-songwriter album through a ...

Prince – Welcome 2 America

Five years after his death and more than a decade after he in fact recorded (but never released) the album, ...

Joshua Radin – The Ghost and The Wall

Joshua Radin is a very interesting artist. A couple of his songs have more than thirty million Spotify streams each ...

Molly Burch – Romantic Images

During the last weeks, I also tried to touch some new genres on Flyctory.com. This week, I present you Molly ...

Charli Adams – Bullseye

There are very different things which fascinate me about an artist. I definitely enjoyed listening to the very first tunes ...

Maroon 5 – Jordi

Many of you may remember Maroon 5 from their big hits at the beginning of their career. Others might even ...

Gary Louris – Jump For Joy

Gary Louris is quite successful as a musician and even worked on Grammy Award-winning albums by Tedeschi Trucks Band and ...

Brynn Cartelli – Based On A True Story EP

A very interesting release with a talent show background: Brynn Cartelli won The Voice in 2018 - now she released her ...

Stef – A Glitch in our Virtual Reality EP

A young pop artist from Nashville - I got into the music from Stef by a Tweet of Christina Taylor, ...

Ashley Monroe – Rosegold

Two Grammy nominations and part of some Number One albums - Ashley Monroe is undoubtedly one of the big names ...

Morgan Wade – Reckless

I always enjoy to listen into the music of new artists. One debut album I received out of the 19th ...

Alyssa Trahan – Baby Blues & Stilettos

To be straight, I have been quite disappointed when I scanned the new album and EP releases as of 5th ...

Ron Gallo – Peacemeal

The album Peacemeal is a mixture of several genres from 90's hip-hop to jazz and punk - that's at least ...

Aaron Lee Tasjan – Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!

It is very hard to categorize the music of Aaron Lee Tasjan. I even found his 2021 album Tasjan! Tasjan! ...

Devin Dawson – The Pink Slip EP

Devin Dawson rocketed into the country music scene with his debut single All on Me in 2017. However, it felt that ...

Bella Lambert – Memories EP

Business women at the age of 14, debut EP ten years later: the life of Bella Lambert feels to be ...

Taylor Swift – evermore

Taylor Swift feels to have a really creative boost during pandemic times: just five months after the amazing folklore, she ...

Jennifer K. Austin – Journey

Flyctory.com is receiving more and more requests for album reviews, interviews etc. - so I really need to keep a ...

Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts

Miley Cyrus is simply a music superstar and talented in multiple genres. Thus, new Miley Cyrus albums are always exciting ...

Jojo – December Baby

Even though I have not be overwhelming fond of her recent album good to know, I generally love JoJo and her ...

Meghan Trainor – A Very Trainor Christmas

After I struggled with her third album Treat Myself, which has been released at the beginning of the year, I was ...

mxmtoon – dusk EP

In fact, mxmtoon released her EP dusk already on 1st October 2020. I ran into her music while scanning the 2nd ...

Ava Max – Heaven and Hell

After she has been so successful and present with a couple of her singles, it was hard to believe for ...

Katy Perry – Smile

Happy days for Katy Perry: just a few days after she and actor Orlando bloom announced the birth of their ...

Carly and Martina – Are You Listening?

A good friend of mine is a close friend of the US pop Duo Carly and Martina, so that I ...

Taylor Swift – folklore

The news nearly exploded in social media on 23rd July 2020: there will be a new Taylor Swift album. Release ...

Dixie Chicks / The Chicks – Gaslighter

Strange times in Nashville: when the Gaslighter album was originally planned to be released, the three legendary country music ladies combo was ...

Donna Missal – Lighter

While scanning the album releases as of 10th July 2020, I ran into Lighter by Donna Missal. I have to admit ...

Haim – Women in Music Pt. III

Haim is a band which became popular in the early 2010 years. Already with their first publications, the three Californian ...

Gabby Barrett – Goldmine

Gabby Barrett made it well in American Idol and even better with I Hope. The fans were waiting for her debut album, ...

Nicole Atkins – Italian Ice

Nicoel Atkins stands for a unique combination of Psychedelic, Americana and Soul. On 29th May 2020, Atkins released her latest ...

Lady Gaga – Chromatica

Lady Gaga is one of the very, very big names in music industry. You just do not have to introduce ...

Hailee Steinfeld – Half Written Story EP

Already being nominated for the Academy Awards at the age does not sound to be an introduction for a musical ...

JoJo – good to know

Ten million downloads for one song (Too Little, Too Late), Radio Disney Music Awards and being nominated for the MTV ...

Vanessa Carlton – Love is an Art

After her world hit debut A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton could not keep up with that success. Her sixth album Love ...

Adam Lambert – Velvet

If you replace Freddie Mercury and tour with Queen, you are likely not that bad as an artist. While Lambert ...

Conan Gray – Kid Krow

If you have roughly 1.7 million subscribers in your Youtube channel before you even released your debut record, this sounds ...

Delta Rae – The Light

After Delta Rae has been quite successful in the beginning of the 2010's, the band has not been too present ...

Rachel Reinert – Into The Blue

After her career with Gloriana, Rachel Reinert decided in 2017 to leave the successful project and go solo. On 13th March 2020, ...

Mandy Moore – Silver Landings

Eleven years after her last album release, Mandy Moore decided to release another album: SIlver Landings is the seventh and ...

Lisa Loeb – A Simple Trick To Happiness

Lisa Loeb is an artist who gave me an amazing song of my youth: Stay (I Missed You) was a huge ...

Huey Lewis & the News – Weather

Stuck WIth You or Hip To Be Square turned him to a musical legend. Ten years after the last album of ...

Kesha – High Road

Kesha is back! She is a music superstar in the US, while in other markets, she could not connect to ...

Natalie Madigan – What It’s Like To Be Known

When you think of Nashville, you think of country music. But, of course, the immense concentration of musical talent is ...

Meghan Trainor – Treat Myself

Meghan Trainor - you just link this name to a world-wide success story, All About That Bass. Just on YouTube, ...

Selena Gomez – Rare

While there were not too many releases in the pre-Christmas period, the list of potential Flyctory.com reviews on 10th January ...

Echosmith – Lonely Generation

The have been the Cool Kids in 2013 and had worldwide success - since this hit, Echosmith did not leave too ...

David Hasselhoff – Open Your Eyes

Whether somebody believes that David Hasselhoff had any impact on the Fall of the Berlin Wall, I honestly don't care. Knight ...

Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury

If you won a Grammy Award for the Best Country Album of the Year, you are big in the country ...

Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell

30th August had quite a couple of album releases. While I published my view on Sheryl Crow's Threads and Tarja's In The Raw ...

P!nk – Hurts 2B Human (Album Review)

P!nk is one of the music megastars of our current generation. Many people looked forward to th 26th April, when the ...

Musical History

These are all articles, in which I dealt with events and places influencing musical history: