Following a surge of new music, Pentatonix released their latest album Top Pop Vol. 1. After winning The Sing-Off in 2011, they were given a record deal but were soon after dropped. The a cappella group turned to YouTube, like many other stars before them, and quickly gained star status with their amazing mix of voices and unique talent. Their eerie ability to imitate songs with just their voices while still adding their own touch is prevalent in Top Pop Vol. 1.

With a variety of songs including “Havana,” “Attention,” and “Stay,” Pentatonix has something for all their different fans. They even have a few mixed songs. Who knew “Despacito” and “Shape of You” went so well together?

Top Pop Vol. 1 was highly anticipated by fans because it would be their first album without former member Avi Kaplan and the first album with new member Matt Sallee. Having a new voice in the mix was both a positive and negative. Everyone has a unique voice, so while they lost Avi Kaplan’s voice, they gained all the new ranges that come with Matt Sallee’s voice.

Besides simply having spectacular voices, a lot of Pentatonix’s fame stemmed from how much passion was infused into their a cappella arrangements. The likeness of their arrangements to conventional music groups can be uncanny at times but can also be so amazingly unique. I honestly don’t think there is any particular song that sticks out in this album that shows off their talents any more than the others. However, my personal favorites for no real reason are probably “Finesse”, “Stay” and the “Despacito x Shape of You” mix.

Havana would likely be in that top list if not for the fact that the group used one of their male singers instead of keeping with their female singer for the female part. Granted, it still sounds amazing, but it pulls away from their likeness to the original, which is what I admire about Pentatonix.

The best part of this album though is the “Vol. 1” part of the title. Meaning there’s more of Pentatonix’s spectacular music to come.