It was 2013. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were everywhere. You couldn't walk into a grocery store without hearing that brassy, infectious hook from "Can't Hold Us." But then, five singers from Texas decided to strip away the instruments and do the impossible. When Pentatonix Can't Hold Us hit YouTube, it wasn't just another cover. It was a statement.
Honestly, it’s easy to forget how risky this was for them. At the time, Pentatonix was still riding the momentum of their The Sing-Off win, but they were mostly known for medleys. Tackling a high-energy rap anthem? Without a backing track? People thought it would sound thin. They were wrong.
The Technical Wizardry Behind the Arrangement
Kevin Olusola is the secret weapon. Let's just be real about that. In the original Macklemore track, the energy comes from a driving piano line and a massive drum beat. In the Pentatonix Can't Hold Us version, Kevin provides the "celloboxing" foundation that keeps the whole thing from falling apart. He isn't just hitting a snare sound; he’s layering vocal scratches and kick drums while maintaining a relentless tempo. It’s exhausting just to watch him.
The vocal arrangement, primarily handled by Ben Bram and the group members, is a masterclass in texture. Most a cappella groups try to mimic instruments exactly. Pentatonix does something smarter. They mimic the feeling of the instruments. Avi Kaplan—the group's original bass—hits notes so low they feel like they’re rattling your ribcage. It provides that sub-bass frequency that most vocal groups lack.
Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, and Kirstin Maldonado handle the melodic heavy lifting, but it’s the way they trade off the rap verses that keeps the momentum going. Usually, when singers try to rap, it feels "theatre kid" or forced. Here, it feels rhythmic and percussive. They treated the lyrics as part of the drum kit.
Why the Video Went Viral
Visuals matter. The video for Pentatonix Can't Hold Us currently sits with hundreds of millions of views, and for good reason. Directed by a team that understood the group's "low-fi but high-energy" aesthetic, it features them in a gritty, industrial setting. No glitz. No Auto-Tune artifacts. Just five people and five microphones.
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It felt authentic. In an era of over-produced pop, seeing Mitch Grassi hit those soaring high notes in the chorus while standing in a warehouse felt rebellious. It proved that human voices could compete with a multi-million dollar studio production.
The Impact on the Music Industry
Before this cover, a cappella was largely seen as a niche hobby for Ivy League students in sweater vests. Pentatonix changed the "cool" factor. They showed that vocal music could be aggressive, modern, and commercially viable.
Record labels started paying attention. The success of Pentatonix Can't Hold Us helped propel their album PTX, Vol. II to the top of the charts. It wasn't just a fluke; it was a proof of concept. They weren't a gimmick. They were a band.
There's also the "YouTube Effect." This specific video helped define the 2010s era of digital creators. It wasn't a leaked radio single; it was a direct-to-fan release that bypassed traditional gatekeepers. If you were on the internet in 2013, you shared this video. It was the "did you see this?" moment of the year.
Breaking Down the Musical Structure
The song starts with a deceptive simplicity. Just the beat and the "return of the incredible" line. But notice how the layers build. By the time they hit the bridge, you have:
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- A walking bass line from Avi.
- A complex beatbox pattern from Kevin.
- Middle-harmony "pads" from Kirstin and Scott.
- Mitch taking the lead on the iconic "can we go back" hook.
It’s a wall of sound. If you isolate the tracks, there’s no empty space. That is incredibly difficult to achieve without a synthesizer.
Common Misconceptions About the Recording
A lot of people think there are hidden instruments in the mix. There aren't. Every single sound you hear in Pentatonix Can't Hold Us originated in a human throat. While there is certainly post-production—compression to make the drums pop and EQ to balance the harmonies—there are no guitars, no pianos, and no drums.
Another misconception is that it was easy to record. Actually, capturing a cappella rap is a nightmare. The "plosives"—those "P" and "B" sounds—can clip a microphone easily. Kevin and Avi had to use specific mic techniques to ensure the percussion sounded like a kit and not like someone spitting into a piece of equipment.
What This Song Teaches Us About Creativity
Innovation often comes from limitations. Because Pentatonix didn't have a band, they had to reinvent what a voice could do. They used the "limit" of five voices to create a new genre of vocal pop.
When you listen to Pentatonix Can't Hold Us today, it doesn't sound dated. Why? Because human voices are timeless. Synths from 2013 might sound "so 2013" now, but a perfect harmony is always relevant.
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How to Analyze the Performance Yourself
If you’re a musician or just a fan, try this: put on a pair of high-quality headphones. Listen specifically to the left channel, then the right. You’ll hear how Kirstin and Scott often swap roles between being the "lead" and being the "rhythm guitar."
Notice the breathing. In many modern recordings, the breath is edited out. In this track, you can hear the gasps for air between the fast-paced rap sections. It adds a level of athleticism to the track. It reminds you that these are athletes of the vocal cords.
The Legacy of the Cover
Is it better than the original? That’s subjective. Macklemore’s version has an anthemic, stadium-filling quality that is hard to beat. But the Pentatonix version has a level of intimacy and technical "how did they do that?" wonder that keeps people coming back.
It paved the way for their Christmas albums, their Grammy wins, and their world tours. Without the massive success of the Pentatonix Can't Hold Us cover, the landscape of modern vocal music would look very different. It was the bridge between "niche YouTube act" and "global superstars."
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
To truly appreciate what happened here, don't just stream it on a tiny phone speaker. Do these three things to get the full experience:
- Watch the "making of" or behind-the-scenes clips. Seeing Kevin Olusola explain how he layered the beatbox sounds will change how you hear the song.
- Compare the live versions. Find a video of them performing this live in 2014 or 2015. You’ll see that they weren't relying on studio magic; they actually hit those notes in real-time.
- Check out the "PTX, Vol. II" tracklist. This song was the anchor of that EP. Listening to the surrounding tracks like "Daft Punk" gives you a better sense of the creative headspace the group was in during this era.
The song remains a staple in their setlists for a reason. It represents the peak of their "high-energy" era. Even after Avi Kaplan left the group and was replaced by Matt Sallee, the song stayed in the rotation. It's a foundational piece of their identity.
The next time you hear that familiar "Hey, hey, hey, hey" intro, listen for the bass. Listen for the tiny vocal ornaments Mitch adds in the background. It's a complex, beautiful, and slightly chaotic piece of art that shouldn't work on paper, but works perfectly in your ears.