In the 1990s, it was not uncommon to see a cappella groups roam cruise ships singing classic pop songs without any instrumentation for the enjoyment of guests in bars and cabaret lounges, but slowly but surely, they became more scarce onboard.
Fast forward to today, and a cappella is all the rage from Pentatonix to Voctave and popular films like "Pitch Perfect." So, I predict that the genre may once again be the next big thing on cruise ships.
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Of course, a cappella onboard once defaulted to a sort of doo-wop style that I recall from the likes of "Double Play" on Celebrity Cruises. That type of music remains enjoyable and has a place on ships thanks to the music of The Four Seasons via "Oh What a Night!" on several Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but the music form has evolved substantially since then as a unique vocal-only representation of mainstream numbers and even musical mashups.
When my wife and I saw Pentatonix live in San Diego, we were blown away by the performance, which, in their case, included lots of original songs, extending well beyond the covers once frequented by the style. Today, music lovers need only go to YouTube to search the large library of a cappella song clips, where Pentatonix and Voctave have both skyrocketed into fame. The former's PTXofficial channel has over 12 million subscribers after all.
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So, here's a thought for cruise companies: how about a "Pentatonix Presents" series ofa cappella groups deployed across a brand's fleet?
Carnival once took the approach with George Lopez selecting comedians for its Punchliner Comedy Club and now even features "Lip Sync Battle: Carnival" in a similar spirit of pop stars. How about next teaming up with Pentatonix or Voctave for a branded collection of handpicked vocalists showcased on several ships?
I think it would be a hit, and I'll gladly take the credit for the idea. Picture a cappella elevated from the cabaret to the main show lounge as an opportunity for vocal groups to propel their careers while guests delight in the soundscape. It's a win-win and one that I would personally love to see as another facet of increasingly impressive cruise ship entertainment.
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