What happens when Grammy-winning vocalists strip away every instrument and rebuild a Disney masterpiece using nothing but the raw power of the human voice? The answer arrives in waves of goosebumps, cascading harmonies, and a reimagined classic that makes listeners feel like they’re experiencing Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” for the very first time.
Arlington, Texas-based a cappella quintet Pentatonix released their breathtaking interpretation of The Lion King’s signature ballad in July 2019, timing the release to coincide with Disney’s live-action remake of the beloved animated film. The group—consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Matt Sallee, and beatboxer Kevin Olusola—transformed the tender love song into something simultaneously familiar and revolutionary, proving that five exceptional voices can create musical textures as rich as any full orchestra.
From Childhood Bedrooms to Billboard Charts
The journey to this particular cover began long before the group assembled in a recording studio. For three of Pentatonix’s five members, the story starts in the halls of Martin High School in Arlington, where childhood friends Kirstin Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying first discovered their vocal chemistry. In 2010, the trio arranged an a cappella version of Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” for a local radio competition aimed at meeting the cast of television series Glee. Though they didn’t win, their performance sparked something bigger—their YouTube video of the arrangement gained viral traction, planting seeds for what would eventually become one of the most successful vocal groups in modern music history.
The pivotal moment came in 2011 when Hoying, then a student at the University of Southern California, learned about NBC’s a cappella competition series The Sing-Off. He contacted his Texas friends and convinced them to audition, but they faced a critical challenge: the competition required five members, and they only had three. Through a combination of recommendations and YouTube research, they discovered bass vocalist Avi Kaplan and beatboxer Kevin Olusola—whose viral “celloboxing” videos showcased his ability to beatbox while simultaneously playing cello.
In a testament to the group’s remarkable chemistry, Kaplan and Olusola joined the trio just one day before auditions for the show’s third season. Despite having virtually no rehearsal time, Pentatonix delivered such innovative performances that judge Sara Bareilles later described them to Billboard as “innovators, pushing boundaries in the right ways” with “incredible chemistry.” The newly formed quintet ultimately won the competition in November 2011, securing a $200,000 prize and a recording contract with Sony Music.
The Evolution of an A Cappella Powerhouse
The group’s name itself reflects their musical foundation: “Pentatonix” derives from the pentatonic scale, a five-note musical scale that mirrors their five-member configuration (with an “x” added for visual appeal). This wasn’t merely clever branding—it represented their commitment to making each voice essential to their distinctive sound.
After their Sing-Off victory, when Sony’s Epic Records unexpectedly dropped the group, Pentatonix made a strategic pivot that would define their career trajectory. They launched an aggressive YouTube campaign, releasing polished a cappella covers of contemporary pop hits while working with Madison Gate Records, a Sony Pictures-owned label. Videos of songs like Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” and Fun’s “We Are Young” went viral, building an enormous online following that traditional music industry gatekeepers couldn’t ignore.
Their artistic breakthrough came with their 2013 Daft Punk medley, which accumulated 100 million views in its first year and earned them their first Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella in 2015. They won the same category again in 2016 for “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” making history as the first a cappella act to win this Grammy category in consecutive years. In 2017, they added a third Grammy—Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration with Dolly Parton on “Jolene.”
By the time they recorded “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in 2019, the group had sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, accumulated billions of streams, and established themselves as the most commercially successful a cappella group in music history.
Reimagining a Timeless Classic
Pentatonix’s approach to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” demonstrates why they’ve achieved such unprecedented success. Rather than simply reproducing Elton John’s original arrangement using voices instead of instruments, the group injected their signature style—making the song slightly more upbeat while maintaining its emotional core, incorporating complex vocal harmonies that layer and interweave, and building to a dramatic key change that showcases their technical virtuosity.
The group released the track on July 17, 2019, with an official music video following in August Billboard. For the quintet, the project held special personal significance. The group shared on social media that The Lion King was “one of our ALL-TIME FAVOURITE childhood movies,” Coast making the opportunity to reimagine one of its most beloved songs feel like a full-circle moment.
The recording process itself revealed the meticulous craftsmanship behind Pentatonix’s seemingly effortless performances. Behind-the-scenes footage shared by the group shows them working through intricate vocal arrangements, each member contributing distinct elements—from Sallee’s rich bass foundation and Olusola’s percussion-like beatboxing to the soaring lead vocals and intricate harmonies woven by Hoying, Grassi, and Maldonado.
The Power of Pure Vocal Artistry
What makes Pentatonix’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” particularly remarkable is how it demonstrates the untapped potential of human voices as instruments. Where other artists might rely on studio production, synthesizers, or traditional orchestration, Pentatonix creates depth through vocal layering alone. Olusola’s beatboxing provides rhythmic foundation typically handled by drums, Sallee’s bass vocals replace traditional bass guitars or cellos, while the three vocalists create melodic textures that mimic everything from piano to strings to brass sections.
This isn’t merely technical showmanship—it’s emotional communication through vocal purity. The absence of instruments creates an intimacy that draws listeners directly into the performance. Every breath, every shift in tone, every moment where voices lock into perfect harmony becomes viscerally present in ways that instrumental backing might obscure.
The arrangement particularly shines in its dynamic range. Soft, tender passages give way to powerful crescendos, demonstrating the group’s ability to modulate intensity without losing the song’s romantic essence. Critics and fans alike described the cover as “achingly beautiful,” The Hits noting how the quintet managed to honor the original while creating something distinctly their own.
Legacy and Continued Innovation
Pentatonix’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” arrived during a particularly productive period for the group. They were actively touring, with the release timed strategically around The Lion King remake’s theatrical debut. The cover exemplified their dual ability to capitalize on cultural moments while maintaining artistic integrity—choosing songs with built-in nostalgia factor but transforming them through genuine musical innovation rather than mere mimicry.
The group has experienced some personnel changes over their career—founding member Avi Kaplan departed in 2017, with Matt Sallee joining as his replacement—but their core artistic vision has remained remarkably consistent. They continue to blend pop sensibilities with a cappella tradition, making the genre accessible to mainstream audiences while respecting its technical demands.

Their accolades extend beyond their three Grammy wins. In February 2023, Pentatonix received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first a cappella group to receive this honor. Their catalog includes back-to-back #1 albums on the Billboard 200, platinum certifications, and performances everywhere from the White House to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Why It Resonates
The emotional impact of Pentatonix’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” speaks to something fundamental about human connection through music. In an era dominated by electronic production and auto-tuned perfection, there’s something profoundly moving about hearing five people create complex, layered music using only their voices. It reminds listeners of music’s most basic origins—humans making sound together, creating harmony from individual voices, building community through shared artistic expression.
The cover also demonstrates how great songs transcend their original arrangements. Elton John’s version is iconic, but Pentatonix proves the melody and lyrics contain enough emotional truth to support radically different interpretations. Their version doesn’t compete with the original; it complements it, offering a fresh perspective on familiar material.
For fans who grew up with The Lion King, the cover provides a bridge between childhood nostalgia and adult musical appreciation. It honors the emotional memory of hearing the song as a child while delivering the sophisticated vocal craftsmanship that appeals to mature musical sensibilities.

The Broader Impact
Pentatonix’s success with covers like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” has implications beyond their own career. They’ve helped legitimize contemporary a cappella as a viable mainstream genre, inspiring countless high school and college groups to push beyond traditional barbershop quartet formats. Their YouTube success demonstrated how artists could bypass traditional industry gatekeepers, building sustainable careers through direct fan engagement and digital distribution.
Their approach to arrangement—respecting source material while injecting distinctive personality—offers a model for how cover songs can function as genuine artistic statements rather than karaoke-style reproductions. Each Pentatonix cover asks an implicit question: What happens when we strip away everything except the human voice? The answer, as evidenced by their Disney interpretation, is often something magical.
Verification Summary
Research confirms all major claims in the original article: Pentatonix did release a cover of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in July 2019, with the official music video released in August. The group did win NBC’s The Sing-Off third season in 2011, earning a $200,000 prize and Sony Music recording contract. They have won three Grammy Awards (not “three-time Grammy winners” as sometimes ambiguously stated, but specifically three wins across different years and categories). The group’s name does derive from the pentatonic scale, representing their five members. The formation story—three high school friends recruiting a bass vocalist and beatboxer just one day before Sing-Off auditions—is accurately documented in multiple authoritative sources including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Wikipedia.