Kirstin Maldonado Delivers Her Debut Performance Of “Break A Little”: Premiere

Mike Nied | July 25, 2017 9:00 am

Kirstin Maldonado of Pentatonix is the latest member of the group to explore solo material while the group is taking a break from conquering the globe, one a cappella song at a time. Earlier this year she dropped her debut single “Break A Little.” which was followed by her EP L O V E on July 14. As the artist is getting into full promotion mode, she’s gearing up for a string of performances that will introduce her solo material to fans.

For her first showcase, Kirstin and her band traveled to Shadowland Wolf Sanctuary to perform some of the tracks from L O V E surrounded by nature and the preserve’s furry inhabitants. “I feel like with the vibe of the songs and what I present as an artist it was cool to be outdoors with the wolves and within nature,” she said of the set, adding that the stripped back performance provided a chance to bring the focus onto each song’s lyrics. This was especially important for her lead single, which she said “takes on an entirely different meaning” when the focus centers on the track’s earnest message.

“‘Cause every time I see your face, I break a little. And every single night you say, you take a little,” Kirstin fragilely sings to a toxic lover over a sparse production. Her voice resonates with heartache as she refuses to let go off the relationship that is bringing her nothing but pain. Performing in front of a solitary wolf, there’s magic in the atmosphere as a breeze blows across the stage and her new friend protectively prowls in the background. It’s a promising performance from the budding solo hitmaker, and there’s more to come including her first live set on TODAY after being selected as host Elvis Duran‘s Artist of the Month this Wednesday (July 26).

Kirstin isn’t the only member of the group to explore new territories this year. Fellow members Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi recently released the first of a two-part EP under the moniker SUPERFRUIT. It’s an exciting time for the group as they get to explore new ventures during some much-deserved time off, and Kirstin explained that it’s a wonderful chance for each of her bandmates to express themselves outside of the group.

“Within our band, we all have different music tastes. We’re all so different, and it’s become more apparent as we’re getting older,” she said. Although the group always comes to a common ground while working together, she said the time away allows them to recharge and explore new directions. “I think it’s neat that we are all doing our own thing because it just recalibrates us individually,” while also providing a deeper glimpse into each of the artist’s souls that fans don’t always get to see.

For Kirstin, she described the new material using three adjectives: dreamy, vulnerable, and real. “I feel like it’s a very relatable, real journey toward my life as an artist and as a person, too,” the budding pop star explained of her experience recording the new music. This is very evident during her performance of “Break A Little” at Shadowland Wolf Preserve, and we’re excited to team up with her to premiere the track’s debut acoustic performance! Check it out below.

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