Pentatonix formed in 2011 and came to prominence the same year by winning the third season of "The Sing-Off" on NBC, their victory earning them $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony. Their debut EP "PTX, Volume 1" was released in 2012, followed by "PTXmas" the same year, with their third release "PTX, Vol. II", debuting at number 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart in 2013. 2014 saw the release of "PTX, Vol. III", and their two first full-length albums "PTX, Vols. 1 & 2" (a compilation of Vol. 1 and Vol. II) and "That's Christmas to Me". Their second holiday release, That's Christmas to Me, with the album certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), platinum on December 24, 2014, and double platinum on February 11, 2016, becoming the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962, and the fourth-best-selling album in the United States in 2014. The following year, Pentatonix released their album, their first consisting mostly of original material, which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart for the first time in their career, followed by a third Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, in 2016, and a new EP, PTX, Vol. IV – Classics, the following year. In May 2017, Kaplan announced that he would leave Pentatonix due to his inability to keep up with the touring demands of the group; he left after the completion of the tour in September, and was replaced by Matt Sallee the following month.
Pentatonix has won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017.
Pentatonix started their popular YouTube channel back in 2012 to promote themselves after the Sing-Off (Season 3, 2011) when they were dropped by their record label, according to a recent November 2014 interview. They also made effective use of social media to interact with their fan base. They have eclipsed almost 15 million subscribers and more than 2.7 billion cumulative views. Their music video for "Daft Punk" recently surpassed 273 million views.
The group's website is: www.ptxofficial.com.
Pentatonix official youtube channel: www.youtube.com/PTXofficial.
Video Killed The Radio Star
Pentatonix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh-a oh
I heard you on the wireless back in Fifty Two(Oh-a oh)
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.(Oh-a oh)
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.(Oh-a oh)
Hey oh!
They took the credit for your second symphony.(Powpowpow)
Rewritten by machine and new technology,(Powpowpow)
and now I understand the problems you can see.(Powpowpow)
Oh-a oh
Hey!
I met your children
Oh-a oh
What did you tell them?
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Pictures came and broke your heart.
Oh-a-a-a oh
Pararapapapa! Shhh!
You are a radio starrrrr.(you are... radio star)
You are a radio starrrrr-rrrrrrrrrr-rrrrrrrrr!
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car-r-r
Video k-killed the radio star
The first verse of Pentatonix's "Video Killed The Radio Star" references the year 1952 which is significant as this was the year that the BBC's first television broadcast went out. The phrase "I heard you on the wireless" refers to listening to the radio. The lyrics also talk about lying awake while "tuning in on you" which is a reference to listening to a specific radio show, perhaps a late-night show that is captivating and entrancing for the listener. The line "If I was young it didn't stop you coming through" suggests that the appeal of the radio, and its power to connect with people, transcends age and is still relevant today.
The second verse references how the radio was replaced by the emergence of new technology, particularly the advent of music videos on television that "took the credit for your second symphony" and were able to "rewrite" songs with new technology. The lyrics then express understanding about the problems that arise from modern technology's dominance in the music industry.
The chorus of the song is iconic, declaring that "Video killed the radio star" and that the rise of visual media in the form of music videos took away the importance of the radio as a source of music and entertainment. The bridge of the song references the heartbreak that can come from the visual media-driven music industry and how the rise of video has changed everything.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the fleeting nature of fame in the music industry and the impact of technological advancements on the industry as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh-a oh
Expressing excitement and attention towards the following lyrics
I heard you on the wireless back in Fifty Two(Oh-a oh)
Referring to listening to the radio and discovering the singer in 1952
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.(Oh-a oh)
Being fully focused and eager to hear the next song from the artist
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.(Oh-a oh)
Even if the listener was young, they were still able to appreciate and enjoy the artist's music
They took the credit for your second symphony.(Powpowpow)
Someone else claimed credit for the artist's work, specifically their second symphony
Rewritten by machine and new technology,(Powpowpow)
The work was changed and updated with new technology, with no credit given to the original artist
and now I understand the problems you can see.(Powpowpow)
The artist faced challenges due to technological advancements and being underappreciated
I met your children
The artist met the artist's offspring
What did you tell them?
Curious about what the artist said to their children
Video killed the radio star.
An homage to the popular belief that music videos diminished the popularity of the traditional radio format
Pictures came and broke your heart.
The new visual aspect of music caused the artist to become disheartened and overshadowed
Oh-a-a-a oh
Repeating the same phrase as earlier to attract attention
You are a radio starrrrr.(you are... radio star)
Acknowledging the artist's status and success as a radio star before the rise of music videos
You are a radio starrrrr-rrrrrrrrrr-rrrrrrrrr!
Repeating the previous line but emphasizing the artist's importance even more
In my mind and in my car-r-r
Declaring that the artist will always be remembered and listened to in both the singer's mind and car
Video k-killed the radio star
Repeating the same line as earlier, but with additional emphasis as the song ends
Contributed by Jonathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gwhoisj
Lemme get this straight, not only is the arrangement amazing and everything perfect, but they dd it in TWO DAYS?!? holy shit.
Chris Buckley
@QueenOfTheSea101 why was it necessary? Lol
QueenOfTheSea101
no shit. pardon the language as i rarely curse unless necessary but this is where it's necessary.
Shawn O'Brien
I actually met Avi a cpl weeks ago and he said most of their stuff was off the cuff. Mad talented
Shawn O'Brien
I would also recommend Daft Punk and Hallelujah
Helen Waters
Check out their arrangement of Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger which they did in an hour.
lyricspeople1234
"Pentatonix, I think you guys were sent back from the future to save a cappella"
It's official, Shaun can read the future.
QueenOfTheSea101
and they did it.
Ethan Weeter
The only criticism I have is they should have sang it closer to the British accent.
user name
Dude, that is Boys 2 Men. If there ever was a proper man to judge someone on a cappella, it's one of the Boys 2 Men members. I mean, if you can sing a cappella harmony you can sing period.