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Grammy-winning a capella group Pentatonix surprised NFL fans when they performed the National Anthem ahead of the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans game on December 25, 2024. The five-member group serenaded the crowd with their instrument-less rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner on Christmas Day.
The game, telecast on Netflix, saw the Ravens defeat the Texans 31-2. The official NFL X page posted constant updates about the game and uploaded a video of Pentatonix singing the National Anthem. The video gained over 560K views at the time of this article.
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Netizens praised Pentatonix's version of the anthem, applauding all five singers. One person tweeted:
"They killed this!"
Many X users agreed with this sentiment, adding they were confident that the a capella group would bring their A-game during their performance.
"They did a great job. Love their Christmas music," one person tweeted.
"They were everything. I knew they were gonna show out today. @PTXofficial never miss. Good pick, @NFL and @netflix," another person added.
"Fantastic as usual!" someone else commented.
Others complimented the group on their harmonization and talent.
"They are a great set of vocal musicians," one person posted.
"The way they harmonize together, they are so amazing," another person added.
"They are one of my favourite bands truly incredible," someone else wrote.
"Spectacular performance. Love the harmonies," another user commented.
Pentatonix was formed in 2011
The five-member a capella group Pentatonix was formed in 2011 in Arlington with five musicians: Kevin Olusola, Avi Kaplan, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, and Scott Hoying. The group has a long list of accolades to its name, including three Grammys and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
The Arlington-based band gained popularity after winning season three of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011. Following this, its success skyrocketed as it released several albums and went on global tours.
Pentatonix made history as the first a capella group to win a Grammy in the Arrangement, Instrumental, Or A Cappella category for its Daft Punk medley in 2015. The Arlington-based band also has several Christmas albums under its belt, including That's Christmas To Me (2014) and A Pentatonix Christmas (2016).
However, in 2017, Avi Kaplan, the band's bass vocalist and lead founder, announced his decision to leave the group. The singer revealed this news in a Facebook video in May 2017, adding that being in the group took a toll on his mental health and family time.
"Throughout my journey with PTX, this pace has always been a struggle for me. It's been hard for me to not be with my family and friends when I need them or when they need me. It's been hard to not be able to escape into nature when I'm feeling overwhelmed or just need some time to myself," he said.
His role was filled by the band's new bass vocalist, Matt Sallee, that same year.
In other news, Pentatonix was not the only musical act at the NFL game on Christmas Day. Beyoncé took to the stage to perform songs from her latest album, Cowboy Carter, for the first time during halftime. The singer entertained her hometown crowd with special guests like Shaboozey and Post Malone. Blue Ivy, her daughter, also joined her on stage for one of the songs.
