Just like many others, I love Robyn's "Dancing On My Own". The lyrics are so recognizable and it's not a surprise at all that so many other artists have turned this song into a ballad. The song words lend them to this so heavily.
In a recent addition to all the ballad cover versions out there, Pentatonix did their thing to the song, too and man, they did it again! Pulling on the heartstrings even more than usual, they've found a way to incorporate the cello into the song.
When I saw them live in Amsterdam, Kevin already surprised me with the combination of beatboxing and playing the cello. A technique he calls "celloboxing". It was refreshing to see an a capella group have a bit of an intermezzo in their show with a full instrumental song by one of its members. It showed there was more to this group than met the eye.
Their version of "Dancing On My Own" gets another dimension of sadness due to the addition of the cello, but when they get to the second verse, they bring new life to the track by adding the beatbox. It's a variation that is very welcomed to get away from a full sad and depressive version of the song.
In a way, it's a well-chosen song to perform for the group, at this stage. While Avi is still part of their live shows, he has announced a departure from the group. The fast pace that fuels Pentatonix' success is not for the faint hearted.
There have been lots of successful groups (and solo artists for that matter) that have complained about the high demand on their calendar the job asks for. It's all about momentum and as you never know when that momentum ends, everyone wants to cash in when they can. If you don't, someone else will take your spot. This takes artists away from anything normal in life. Taking a day off, when you feel low. Coming home when your job is done and hanging out with friends.
Avi wanted to slow things down and announced his departure months ago together with some releases of solo folk music, so, in a way, Pentatonix are dancing on their own now. A little bit back to where they started.
I thought it would be weird without the bass vocals. After all that does make a capella sound warm and thick, but I think the cello captures that really well. Perhaps they'll give the cello a more permanent place within their songs. Either way, they still got it.
