Stole the Show / Chains
Arranged for SSATTB Cappella
🕰 Style & Background
Style: Contemporary Pop EDM & Pop-R&B (2010s)
Originally recorded by: Kygo & Nick Jonas
Arranged by: Natalie Cardillo
Language: English (USA)
🎯 Programming Use
✅ ICHSA/ICCA Opener or Closer
✅ A Cappella Concert
✅ Pops Concert
✅ Thematic Program (mash-ups, love songs)
💡 Why This Piece Works
This arrangement opens with a pulsing intro and a group crescendo as if the curtain to the “show” is rising before your eyes, and then... the spotlight hits the first soloist singing “Stole the Show”. They step into the story with vulnerability, narrating a doomed love while the ensemble offers sorrowful and expressive vocal lines.
But just when you settle into the groove — boom! — a sudden, explosive homophonic hit cracks the mood wide open, leading into an ethereal open chord that floats above the drama.
Enter the second soloist, turning heads with a surprising entrance into Chains by Nick Jonas. This time, it's their side of the story — colder, more jaded, held emotionally captive. The solo builds from quiet frustration to full-blown desperation as the ensemble charges in with unison power on “tryna break the chains but the chains only break me.” You can practically feel the downbeat explode on “down.”
From there, it’s a dramatic tug-of-war between soloists and ensemble. Who controls the melody? Who owns the narrative? The group volleys back and forth with powerful chords and tense harmonic clashes, refusing to let go of the emotional thread.
Finally, the piece exhales. It settles. Not with resolution, but with acceptance — as if all the pain, longing, and tension of the relationship have found a quiet resting place.
This one’s for groups who want to make a statement — and leave a room speechless.
🎵 Musical Characteristics
Melodic Range
✅ Treble Accessibility: – Tenor 1 part comfortable for treble voices
Key and Tonality
Bb Minor
Solfege Accessibility: Moderate — Must be comfortable with solfege in minor
🍎 Tips from the Teacher
Solo 1 is recommended for a female voice and Solo 2 for a male voice based on lyrical context, though these roles can be reversed with minor lyric adjustments
Consider assigning voice parts based on mixing and belting capabilities from m. 66-69
Steal the solo notes and stylization directly from the University of Delaware Vocal Point soloists - they nailed it!
📩 Want This Chart?
Purchase Sheet Music on Sheet Music Plus
Purchase Individual and Group Practice Tracks
