Pentatonix is one of the acts performing on this year’s edition of A Capitol Fourth, airing on PBS on Sunday, July 4, at 8 p.m. ET. The group will be performing in downtown Los Angeles, along with a choir, and will sing “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent. Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying explains why the group chose a distinctly non-patriotic song.
“I think it’s a song that everyone needs to hear right now; it’s a really uplifting song — ‘measure your life in love,'” Scott tells ABC Audio. “And I think we’re all reuniting, and as things start to open up, we’re all feeling the love for each other.”
He adds, “We’re feeling the love for music and a love for our country. And so it felt really appropriate. And the performance is very epic, too. So it has a grandeur about it.”
It’s not the first time the a cappella group has done A Capitol Fourth — they’re pretty much a fixture at these high-profile events, like last month’s Kennedy Center Honors. Why do these shows have Pentatonix on speed-dial?
“Y’know, singing a cappella is a really difficult thing. And so I think that the people…who book these gigs have a respect for us,” explains Scott. “Which is amazing, because we get to perform alongside…legends, which is really surreal.”
While celebrating the birth of our country, Pentatonix also is celebrating their 10th anniversary: Last month marked a decade since they first sang together. And Scott says they already have the next decade mapped out.
“We definitely have a 10-year plan…we feel like we’re just getting started,” he gushes. “We’re going to go bolder. We’re going to go bigger. We’re going to tour a lot. We’re going to take everything to the next level.”
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