Holidays Around the World Listening Party!

FIRST TIME LISTENING TO PENTATONIX'S *NEW* CHRISTMAS ALBUM!!! 🎄

This album is unlike anything PTX has done before. Almost all of the songs are collaborations but, as the title suggests, they are with artists from all over the world! I can't wait to hear the different sounds and styles that will come from this creative collaboration. Check out this tweet to find out about each of the featured guests! How many did I get right in my "live reaction" below based on listening for the first time? 😅

LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!

Kid On Christmas (feat. Meghan Trainor) - Giving me Christmas C'mon vibes. It's cute, wholesome and catchy! The message is sweet and cozy. "And every year you're growing younger...and still feel the magic of it all!" 💙 Love that!!! That's how I always want to feel every Christmas season for the rest of my life! Nothing beats being a kid at Christmastime. 😊 I think there are instruments!? Interesting...I could hear jingle bells throughout and then at the end it sounds like a saxophone joins in. I'm not mad about it, just surprised! Very cute and peppy song to open the album with!

Jingle Bells (feat. Lang Lang) - This arrangement is already fabulous! Lang Lang is a professional pianist, so I knew a piano would be featured, and he's incredible! This is so fun!! Whoo! The beat (aka KEVIN!) just picked up with an extra verse! I loved that! The song had an almost vintage meets modern-pop sound to it throughout the entire track. I approve this "repeat" number since the arrangement is so different from the first time they covered it.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - No featured guest?? Interesting...Wow!! African vibes, let's goooo!! Reminds me a little bit of their O Come All Ye Faithful. I think there is definitely an African drum line going on. There's a cool, original bridge! Loved that! Between Kevin and the actual drums....😍😍 Matt on lead vocal 👌 NAILED IT! Another "repeat" approved! 💯 Their original cover of this song has a more traditional sound, so this was a really fun, new take, that fits the theme of "Holidays Around the WORLD" perfectly!

Love Came On Christmas (Joy To The World x Kumama Papa) [Grace Lokwa) - Really excited about this one based on the title alone! Wait...is this one African?? 🤔 I have chills, this is AMAZING! 🤩 "Joy can be hard to comeby. So, let's make this Christmas one to remember...Joy! Can you feel it now? 'Cause love came on Christmas day!" 🖤😭 This makes me want to cry! Beautiful lyrics! Stunning arrangement! Wow, I loved that so much!! And it looks like Scott, Kevin and Matt get writing credit for those original lyrics!! OK, Pentatonix...you can continue to re-cover past songs because you are breathing new life into them and making them brand new all over again! I can't say this is better than their original cover of Joy to the World (because it's one of my favorites!) but this is practically a new song so they both are winning!! 

Star On Top - This appears to be a *BRAND NEW* PTX original Christmas song!! Let's see how it is! A Christmas love song, awwww!!! 🥰 This is cute! What is this style!? I swear there's a banjo! But it's not country...it's just beautiful! ⭐🎄 Someday, this will be a love song for me and my future, potential, hypothetical husband....🤞🤞

Prayers For This World - My song of the day! Gorgeous! 😭🙏🌎

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (feat. Hiba Tawaji) - OK. I LOVE PTX's original cover of this song soooo...this has A LOT to live up too! I don't think it will be better, but I'm sure it will be different so let's give it a listen....Indian? Very cool already! Mitch's voice is angelic and then they all join in with that perfect harmony! 🤩 Chills alllll over!! Second verse is being sung in the native tongue of the featured guest! Amazing! Kirstin and Hiba sharing lead on the third verse! 😍 Wow! You go ladies!! Beautiful, beautiful voices!! OK. Fine. You got me. That was STUN-NING!! 😭💙

Christmas In Our Hearts (feat. Lea Salonga) - PRINCESS JASMINE/MULAN JOINS PENTATONIX!! 😍 I know she is representing the Philippines. I don't know if this is an original song or what it's from but I know it's going to be amazing! This must be a Christmas song in the Philippines! These lyrics are the sweetest!! 💓😭 It's all about Jesus, as it should be! Lea is a real-life Disney Princess! She's still got the most beautiful voice! 🖤 "This season may we never forget the love we have for Jesus!" YES! 🙌 SO, SO GOOD!! 🥇

Feliz Navidad (feat. La Santa Cecilia) - Called it! 😉 I KNEW this one would be here! It was only a matter of time before they covered it so I'm excited to hear how it turned out! That fancy guitar is already muy bein! Perfecto! SING KIRSTIN! 👏👏 Verdict: WONDERFUL! Pentatonix for the win ALWAYS!

Invincible (feat. Shreya Ghoshal) - I have seen a lot of hype for this one online! ....It's a nice song...but it's definitely not Christmas. Which I know Pentatonix has done before but this one doesn't even feel Christmas to me...I'm just having a hard time relating it to the season and holiday. I love the message though! Especially the bridge: "Ma, I heard you pray for me, all your blessings I received. Pa, I feel your sacrifice, down, down, down oh my, my, my. Brother, sister, wear your pride, waiting for this all my life. Nothing's stopping me tonight."  🥺 I can't say I love it for Christmas time but it's a really positive and uplifting song that I'll be able to listen to all throughout the year! 

Last Christmas (feat. HIKAKIN & SEIKIN) - No idea what part of the world this is suppose to be from...it kinda fell flat for me to be honest. 😕 I wish they had waited and covered this one another year and not associated it with this album. It just doesn't seem to fit for some reason. Bummer. 

Silent Night (feat. The King's Singers) - Last song 😢 This is PERFECTION!! 🤩 This is what CHRISTMAS should sound like!! The vocal arrangement is off the charts! I want to hear this in an old church with stain-glass windows and candles providing the only source of light. It's like a chorus of angels! I do wish they had sung all three verses. Just like their first cover of this Christmas staple, they only sing the first verse multiple times. Regardless, you can feel the sacredness of the song and it's gorgeous! 💙🖤

Another WINNER! I'll be listening to this album all season long!! I LOVED it!! It brought me some much needed peace and happiness this evening as today was another doozy. 😢 I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't seem to pick myself up and get out of this horrible funk I've been in. Listening to music like this tho, helps a lot! 💙🖤