7th Ave’s performance of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” is a stunning example of the powers of a cappella.
According to Decode Arts, the term “a cappella” translates to “at chapel”.
They elaborate on the definition, explaining, “A cappella means unaccompanied music, usually vocal music without accompaniment (without other instruments providing the background, the harmony).
Regardless of the exact definition, the 7th Ave band seems to have perfected the a cappella craft. According to the 7th Ave website, the singing quartet was formed by Chris Rupp (founder of the band Home Free).
It explains, “Each member has a unique musical and performance background, allowing for exciting possibilities.
Combining elements of pop, swing, rockabilly, country, and much more, 7th Ave is aiming to reinvent and uproot the standard definitions of all those genres through our innovative arrangements and fun music videos. “
And it’s true— from tunes like Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to modern-day hits like “Uptown Funk”, the 7th Ave band is known for always putting their unique, a cappella spin on a piece. Their impressive version of “Hallelujah” has even garnered over 720,000 YouTube views to date.
It should be noted that they are are often compared to the Grammy Award-winning group Pentatonix, featured below.
In 2016, 7th Ave decided to put their skills to the test by re-imagining and performing Elvis’s classic 1961 hit “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”.
The song, featured in the 1962 movie Blue Hawaii and originally written by George Weiss, was not a favorite of Elvis’s marketing team.
Still, the singer insisted that it be included, says Song Facts. The melody is modeled on “Plaisir D’Amour”, a French song from 1748. The title loosely translates to “Joy of Love.
Despite the age of the music, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” has once again proven to be timeless.
The 3-minute-long video opens with the band members —Adam Bastien, Tristin Rupp, Kelly Jakle, and Chris Rupp— lined up and sitting in (what appears to be) an industrial warehouse.
As they begin to sing, a blatant contrast is formed between their angelic voices and unfinished surroundings, and it’s likely this was set-up was purposeful.
Roughly 20 seconds into the video, Adam Bastien enchants the audience from the get-go, singing:
“Wise men say/ Only fools rush in/ But I can’t help falling in love with you.”
And it only gets better from there.
Watch it below and see for yourself!
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