The Complete Transformation Of Pentatonix's Kirstin Maldonado

When Pentatonix rose to international fame at the beginning of the 2010s, they managed to bring something forgotten to the world of mainstream music: a cappella. We've all seen "Pitch Perfect," after which we've tried our best at harmonies with our friends, only to realize that a cappella music is an art not many can master.

Pentatonix wouldn't be the great band they are without their signature female vocalist, Kirstin Maldonado, who has become one of the most recognizable faces of the group. And today, we're giving her all the attention she deserves. From her beginnings with the a cappella group to her solo career and breakthrough on Broadway — here's how much the star has changed, both professionally and personally. And, of course, we wouldn't be Glam if we didn't also take a closer look at her style and how it changed over the years.

Kirstin Maldonado entered the spotlight in the early 2010s by auditioning for "The Sing Off," a now defunct tv competition series as a member of the a cappella group Pentatonix. At the time, she was in her late teens, making her childhood dreams come true. "My mom and I would be in the car all the time. We were really big into music," Maldonado told Asian Fusion in 2014, reflecting on her childhood. "I told her I wanted to be like the kids in the kids' shows. She finally put me into voice lessons when I was 8-years-old and I did a community theatre show, fell in love with it. In high school, I did all the school choirs."

Breaking into the mainstream industry as a part of a talented group was a dream come true for Maldonado. Fans quickly grew to love the five-foot-two singer with a powerful voice, and as Maldonado was getting used to red carpets and industry events, she was also exploring her style. Being of Spanish, Italian, and Mexican descent, Maldonado was destined to be the center of attention, and her fashion choices at the time demanded that all eyes be on her. For the Los Angeles premiere of "Pitch Perfect" in 2012, Maldonado decided to keep it casual yet interesting by combining a mesh top with a leopard print skirt and a chunky belt — a classic accessory of the time. In fact, Maldonado's entire outfit looks like the perfect time capsule from the early 2010s.

By January 2014, Kirstin Maldonado had a very busy schedule. At the time, Pentatonix was preparing to embark on their second headlining North American Tour. Speaking to Asian Fusion at the time, Maldonado shared what her days looked like."I woke up at 10, then had meetings through mid-day. Afternoon, we have choreography practice," she explained. With finding herself in the limelight came plenty of public scrutiny, and Maldonado — who was then in her early 20s — was doing her best to handle the pressures that come with being a celebrity. "I dealt with a lot of self-conscious issues coming out to LA," she admitted. "In the industry, it's hard to pinpoint who you really are sometimes. I definitely want to give off good vibes and be a good role model... Now I feel like I have a little more sense of my place. People always feel like they have to fit in to a cookie-cutter image... but you have to find who you are."

Similarly, the singer told Pop Spoken in 2014 that she tries not to let the opinions of others get to her. "You can't please everyone and at the end of the day you have to make yourself happy," she said. "There will be people out there that will bring you up and equally as many to bring you down." While she was growing her confidence and working on her happiness, Maldonado also decided to switch her look up by going blond. Maldonado's style remained modern as she followed numerous trends of the mid-2010, a lot of which were dictated by trending Tumblr aesthetics. This, of course, meant that Maldonado was also rocking a classic plaid button-up — just like the rest of us.

In 2016, Kirstin Maldonado got engaged to fellow musician Jeremy Michael Lewis, but the two never made it to the aisle. Per Radar Online, in 2017, the pair postponed their wedding because they wanted to "work on separate issues." Although neither party never officially announced their separation, a short time later, fans speculated that the pair had split. But while her love life was going through ups and downs, Maldonado's career was thriving. The musician decided it was time to put out some solo projects. In 2017, she released her first solo single, "Break a Little," accompanied by a music video. That same year, Maldonado got candid about the personal struggles tied to being a solo artist to Yahoo Music.

"I think beforehand I was too caught up in the role that other people thought I was," Maldonado told the outlet. "I think it just took a lot of confidence-building throughout the years and kind of accepting who I was and taking those risks and taking those opportunities — because when I started the solo project last year, I was just so excited and just pleasantly surprised by how creative and fun and how amazing the entire experience was," she said, adding, "I think people are always going to say things about you or disapprove of your relationships or your ideals or your beliefs or something, but I think you have to stand up and stay strong in who you are and not let it affect you."

With her new solo project, a noticeable change in Maldonado style was evident: the singer was experimenting more than ever. From ombre hair to edgy, leg-baring fits, there wasn't a trend that the singer didn't dare to jump on. And even though the star had numerous fun red carpet outfits, our favorite was the Stello gown she wore to the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party in 2017.

Before she made it into the music industry with Pentatonix, Kirstin Maldonado studied music theater at the University of Oklahoma. When the singer made it to Broadway in 2018, it was a major full-circle moment for the star who portrayed Lauren in the musical "Kinky Boots." "It was amazing. Oh my gosh, it was such a dream come true," she told The Oklahoman. "I was, like, crying during my rehearsals... I was so emotional, but I just had the best time ever. It was just so wonderful, and I hope to go back and do it (again) at some point."

The star also revealed that doing something without the group was important to her. "I was a musical theatre major in college, so that was my goal to move here," she told Playbill in 2018. "Then Pentatonix happened, so that was amazing. I've dreamed of being on Broadway since I was a little girl, so it's really exciting to fulfill two dreams. I think the most fulfilling thing you can do in an artistic career is to do all these different things. I'm so eager and excited to add all this to my rep."

While the star's career was evolving, so was her style. Gone were the days of Maldonado wearing predictable trends and muted colors. Instead, the end of the 2010s was all about shining bright — and for her, that meant rocking bold and eye-catching colors like royal blue and emerald green. During this era, the star was all about more and more, even when it came to her makeup. A full glam look, which often featured dark eyeshadow and luscious lashes, was a staple for Kirstin Maldonado during this period.

Even though the majority of the world was at a standstill in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kirstin Maldonado and Pentatonix continued working hard, improvising with home studios and virtual sessions. "You had to listen to yourself and track yourself and make [sure] that you were sounding how you wanted to sound," she told Billboard in 2020. "There's a sense of pride that goes with that. More pride into your work, because you are the one that has to make sure that it of the quality you want it to be."

By the beginning of the 2020s, Maldonado had already been in the business for a decade, and she reminisced about the transformation that Pentatonix went through over the years to E! News in 2021. "We were all so excited just to be embarking on this thing all together as friends and just the way that it took off and all the things I've been able to accomplish is just crazy," she told the outlet. "It's crazy to think that it's been 10 years...all the accomplishments that we've been so fortunate to have been able to cross off our bucket list. It's wild to look back on it, honestly."

As she was now nearing her 30s, Maldonado's style was as confident as ever, as the musician effortlessly switched between different looks. In fact, she was somewhat of a fashion chameleon, and we never knew which version we would get next time. Not to mention that she also had fun with her hair, going from cherry cola — the fieriest way to do red; to platinum blond — a hair color that is probably more expensive to maintain than you think!

Early 2022 brought a major personal change for Kirstin Maldonado as the musician and her partner, filmmaker Ben Hausdorff, announced they were expecting their first child. In June 2022, their daughter, Elliana Violet, was born. And while most would slow down with a baby, Maldonado is living proof that you can still follow your dreams even as a fresh mom. The singer simply brought her family on tour — and it worked for them. "We're in different places all the time, which makes those memories stronger," she told People in 2023. "Her first train was in Japan, the bullet train, and first crawls in Fiji. It feels like she is the most well-traveled baby at this age maybe ever."

In March 2023 — a year after their pregnancy announcement — Maldonado revealed on Instagram that she and Hausdorff got engaged in Tokyo, Japan. "[W]ell now japan is forever cemented as the best place in the whole wide world," the singer wrote in a caption alongside a photo of her gleefully showing off her ring. Fans were beyond excited for the singer, with many expressing their congratulations in the comments.

While Maldonado was creating a family life for herself, that surely didn't mean her style was becoming boring. In fact, 2022 and 2023 were arguably some of her strongest fashion years so far. From sparkles to Y2K-inspired looks, Maldonado was always at the forefront of trends. One look that particularly stood out was the sequenced gown the singer wore while attending the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala with Pentatonix in 2022.

2024 was another memorable year for Kirstin Maldonado as the musician tied the knot with fiance Ben Hausdorff in August at a private ceremony in McKinney, Texas. "I just think a wedding is so special because when are all those people going to be in the same room and celebrating [again]? It's all your favorite people all together," Maldonado admitted to People while remembering her big day. At the wedding, the couple's two-year-old daughter was no doubt the center of attention. "Her little dress has some of the elements of my dress on it, and then I ended up getting her one that's a little bit more of a traditional flower girl dress for her to walk down in. So it's just going to be a little cute cupcake going down the aisle," Maldonado added.

And that's not the only major change that 2024 brought. In November, Maldonado announced on Instagram that she and her husband were expecting their second child with a video that showcased her baby bump alongside the caption with "Here we go again." The announcement happened as Pentatonix was embarking on a Christmas tour, marking the second-time the singer would be in performance mode while pregnant. But it doesn't seem like Maldonado has plans to slow down any time soon. In December, Pentatonix performed for NBC's "Motown Christmas Special," and later sang the National Anthem at the Christmas Day football game in Maldonado's home state of Texas. For the event, the singer wowed in a full-length burgundy Alex Perry gown that showed off her baby bump, proving that she knew how to ace maternity fashion. Following the experience, the singer wrote on Instagram, "I felt extremely proud and accomplished to come out and be able to continue to perform after a long tour at this capacity and feeling so great!!!"