Multi-faceted artist, Kevin Olusola, known as one-fifth of multi-platinum a cappella group Pentatonix, releases his debut solo album, Dawn of a Misfit via Sony Music Masterworks. The album serves as a road map of Olusola’s career. When he felt the calling to become a professional musician at age 20, Olusola hadn’t yet discovered his purpose. Through recording this album, it became clear. Olusola’s passion is showcased through an impressive combination of commanding vocals, heartfelt songwriting, beatboxing, cello-playing, and production. He’s struck a perfect balance of classical musicianship with modern melodies, which is partly fueled by his Nigerian and Grenadian heritage. The album features tracks such as “Dark Winter” which combines the symphonic strings of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with powerful beatbox percussion; “Hallelujah”, a standout example of Olusola’s ability to blend classical, pop, and hip-hop elements around Handel’s “Messiah”; the uplifting “Smile” highlighting the purity of Olusola’s vocals and signature beatboxing on Bach’s iconic Cello Suites; “Crazy”, a reimagining of Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 hit that transforms the songs into a powerful, dark, and cinematic instrumental which unveils Olusola’s feelings of being misunderstood; and concludes with “Kevin Fifth”, a fan favorite and reimagining of Beethoven’s 5th often performed during Pentatonix shows.
