Pentatonix Members Look Unrecognizable In Throwback Photos

A cappella group Pentatonix has proven time and time again that you don't need instruments to create an incredible sound. With over a decade under their belt, fans have watched the stunning transformation of Pentatonix right before their eyes. Their pop medleys and Christmas albums skyrocketed the quintet to fame, with their faces now recognized all over the world.

The group started when Scott Hoying, Mitch Grasso, and Kirstin Maldano — all graduates from the same Arlington, Texas high school — pursued a chance to be on NBC's "The Sing-Off," in 2011. To enhance the group's performance, they sought out beatboxer Kevin "K.O." Olusola and bass vocalist Avi Kaplan (who was eventually replaced by Matt Sallee) to join. Pentatonix went on to win Season 3 of "The Sing-Off," jump-starting their career. Their holiday covers and "Evolution of Music" YouTube videos brought millions of fans to their page, helping them grow into the recognized superstars they are today. 

But what were the band members like before their fame? Well, the group has been more than willing to share some throwbacks of a humbler time, and they're nearly unrecognizable.

Kristin Maldonado's friendship with Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi is the reason Pentatonix has graced our ears. Through Maldonado's stunning transformation, fans have been witness to her career as a solo artist, her journey through motherhood, and her beautiful marriage to her husband, Ben Hausdorff — just one of the many real-life partners of Pentatonix. Before her successful career, which has also included a run in Broadway's "Kinky Boots," the mezzo-soprano formed a trio group in high school with Hoying and Grassi for an a cappella radio competition.

Grassi told PBS that although they lost the competition, they got lots of recognition in their high school. Since the three were so young when they found each other, there are many photos of their small-town Texas days, including one Maldonado shared on Instagram. For Hoying's 29th birthday in 2020, Maldonado posted the sweetest throwback of her and Hoying to document their longtime friendship, writing: "2006 kirstie had no idea she'd find such incredible friends, and I cherish our closeness for over half our LIVES!"

While Pentatonix is as outstanding as they are because of their quintet-style band arrangement, every group has a pack leader, and the untold truth of Pentatonix's Scott Hoying is he's just that. The band rose as a cappella was becoming mainstream, with pop culture influences like "Glee" and "Pitch Perfect." According to Hoying, when the original three went viral for their singing video to win a meet-and-greet with the cast of "Glee," he was inspired to take the trio further by signing them up for "The Sing-Off." "When I saw 'The Sing-Off,' I thought 'Oh, Wow. I should try out with the trio,'" Hoying told Cincinnati Magazine. "That's when my friend was like 'No, you need to add a bass and a beatboxer,' that's where Avi and Kevin came in."

Hoying has frequently been the group's soloist because of his chameleon-like baritone range. That means his face, and his exceptionally blond hair, are a very distinctive image of Pentatonix. However, even the most die-hard Hoying fans wouldn't recognize him in the throwback photo he posted on Instagram in 2021. His hair in the photo is as blond as it is now, just shed about 25 years off his current image. Hoying — who wrote: "oooomg i'm 30 today!!! should i have my bday party at mcdonalds again" — gave his followers an adorable memory of his McDonald's birthday party, which featured a young Hoying on a tricycle with what looks like a kazoo in his mouth. Turns out he's always been musically inclined!

Ultimately the most ethereal member of Pentatonix, Mitch Grassi — who goes by "Messer" on his solo work — mostly spends his days sharing his artistic prowess when not on stage with the band. His Instagram is filled with experimental photography and promotions of his solo stuff, but not so much Pentatonix and the rest of its members.

On YouTube, however, there's a whole vault of young Grassi and Scott Hoying videos, when the best friends posted content under the name Superfruit. The pair would post videos of their celebrity impressions, or reaction videos. They even produced music under the name. In many of the older videos, Grassi looks like a whole different person compared to his image as of late. The singer wore lots of button-ups with glasses, accentuating his 2013 baby face (he was only 21 if you can believe it). Superfruit eventually stopped posting, but their sweet videos are always a reminder that those two are forever friends.

Kevin "K.O." Olusola arguably has the most important job of Pentatonix, which is keeping a beat for the rest of his bandmates. Olusola graduated pre-med from Yale University in 2011 but obviously did not go the route for which his major set him up. He now beatboxes to pop songs, but Olusola was first a cellist in the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He told YSO in a 2019 interview that a video he took of himself in college playing the cello and beatboxing blew up, and ultimately gave him his career with Pentatonix.

Olusola has music in his blood. He made that evident with a hilarious throwback pic he shared on Instagram, which depicted a young Olusola in his school band uniform, holding his drum mallets. "Baby Kevin percussion picture for the Owensboro High School marching band. Ahhhh those were the days," he captioned the post. His followers couldn't get enough. Many Owensboro natives commented on his post that he's something of a legend in their small Kentucky town.

While he's not an original member of Pentatonix — only joining to replace Avi Kaplan — the band wouldn't be the same without Matt Sallee's smiling face. Pentatonix producer Ben Bram found the Berklee College of Music graduate when he was performing at weddings and asked him to audition for the a cappella group. Kaplan even welcomed his replacement warmly. "It felt like a true passing of the torch," Sallee said (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Since then, Sallee's bass notes have wowed the Pentatonix audience for years, even celebrating some of the band's biggest milestones with them, including their Hollywood Walk of Fame star. 

The singer told The Baltimore Sun that he grew up in Maryland surrounded by music, as he was the son of a music pastor. "My dad would have me come up to the piano [at church] and have me sing a song at the end of the service," he said. It seems like singing wasn't his only childhood activity, though. In March 2020, Sallee posted a #throwbackthurday pic to Instagram of him and his sister; Sallee donning a baseball uniform and his sister clad in a cap and gown. Many commenters couldn't help but notice that, besides the height change, Sallee looks pretty much the same. "Your face has not changed," one user wrote.