Has the acapella game music scene been quieter than usual for a while, or is it just us? Nope- Smooth McGroove, maybe the most famous of all the acapella video game singers, hasn't posted anything since July 2019. That's pre-pandemic! You could be forgiven for thinking that something awful happened to the long-haired icon, but you'll be happy to know that he's okay. Mostly.

Smooth McGroove singing the Street Fighter Guile theme
Smooth, McGrooving — Image: Smooth McGroove

Describing the last year and a half as "clearing his debuffs", Smooth (AKA Max Gleason) details his issues with kidney problems and adrenal imbalances that wiped him out. Taking time to focus on his health meant that his Patreon was shut down for inactivity, and his YouTube channel - which has almost 2.5 million subscribers - had no new uploads during that time.

But now he's back on YouTube and Patreon, he's "80-90% better", AND he has a new cat called Angel, to accompany his decade-old cat named Charl. And he grew a pineapple! From scratch! Everything's coming up McGroove.

To celebrate his return, check out his rendition of the Objection! Theme from Ace Attorney, or maybe his cover of Minecraft composer C418's Sweden. One will make you anxious, and the other will calm you right down. And isn't that just the spectrum of video games?

Hope you're feeling 100% soon, Mr McGroove - and welcome back!

[source youtu.be]