When Twisted Measure released their original arrangement of Sia's "Chandelier," they couldn't have envisioned the outcome. In the first 72 hours of the group's release, their single went viral, cracking iTunes top 50 and registering a staggering two million hits on YouTube. Since that fateful moment, they have been overwhelmed by a new fan base and catapulted into the spotlight with the help of social media and features in national publications such as USA Today, Teen Vogue, TIME Magazine, ELLE, and Seventeen Magazine, to name a few. Soloist Abby Franklin, one of Twisted Measure's eight graduating seniors, describes the attention "Chandelier" has received in the past three days as "...unbelievable. The Internet is an incredibly amazing, yet terrifying machine. It's still impossible for us to conceptualize the amount of people that have heard us sing."
Elon students have taken great pride in the group's buzz, sharing the articles, posts and praise over social media. The "Chandelier" rendition has widened the group's audience well beyond Elon's campus, reaching listeners world-wide. Although Twisted Measure's publicity is new, their fan base is not. Founded in 1999, it is Elon's oldest, co-ed, a cappella group. With age comes tradition: one of Twisted Measure's most notable quirks, dating back to the group's inception, is their shoeless stage performance. The barefoot practice was established with the intention of creating a more genuine, natural environment. The founders felt this simple grounding exercise would allow the sole focus to be directed to their musical sound. What's more, all of the group's hauntingly beautiful arrangements are original. Franklin commented that the "Chandelier" arrangement is “such a gorgeous blend of open chords and the solo part on top of that just sends the song to another place."
Photo: Nic Nelson
For President Tyler Meacham, the main factor that sets Twisted Measure apart is that the group is “... a family. We put that aspect into our performances, practices, and recordings -- it's an all-inclusive atmosphere where the choices we make on and off stage are about the group as a unit, before anything else."
The video's fame came as a shocking surprise to the members of Twisted Measure because, as freshman vocalist Hunter Riccio stated, they are “just a group of friends who love to sing together." In fact, to many of the group's members, singing is a hobby, and music majors are few and far between. However, their recent success may have changed some minds. “In terms of pursuing music, I wasn't sure a week ago (May 2015 graduation). But truly, the past 72 hours have been game-changing ones. I'm in the process of re-evaluating," said Franklin.
As nearly half of the group graduates, their single's success has instilled confidence for the future. Incoming Elon students now have an elite perception of Twisted Measure's essence. Heightened interest will help next year's recruitment process immensely. The groups' well-earned recognition has created positive publicity for not only their choir, but for the entire Elon community, as well. Those who may have been unfamiliar with Elon University may now recognize the school's name, thanks to its incredibly talented class of choristers. Elon's campus will continue to reap the benefits of this viral video in years to come. “The idea that this could happen to a simple group of friends who sing together for fun is unbelievable. We've received so many kind words and positive feedback -- it's truly amazing and humbling," Meacham said.
Watch and listen to "Chandelier" once more:
