At first glance, Sunny Hill may look like a new girl group set to take on the charts but that is far from the truth. The group itself has been going since 2007, originally a Co-Ed group who released “Midnight Circus” & “The Grasshopper Song” – eccentric songs that would be cemented in the minds of fans within the last generation.
Within the last few years, things have changed with the departure of producer/leader Janghyun and a change of record label but the name is going strong as a female dance group; featuring well-known faces Kota & Seungah (now under the stage name Bitna). Joining the group from last year, there is also some familiar names; Eunjoo who was originally soloist, Ray.B & Geonhee from Purfles – the trio behind “1, 2, 3”, “A Bad Thing” & “Bad Girl”.
After a burst back onto the scene with “Nom Nom Nom”, Sunny Hill are back with a single album titled “Adiós Amor”. The title track of the same is produced as a Bossanova genre, blending Latin instrumentals with urban soul elements. In comparison to their stage comeback in October, the song is very toned down and focuses on their vocal prowess that they have been known for in the past decade; one prime example being their ballads, “Pray” & “Goodbye To Romance”.
With the new member line-up, Soul music may be a good move for the group as the new members’ previous ventures shine more with this genre. It is completely stripped back of any quirks and relies on the ladies’ voices and harmonies which shines more as the song progresses.
Eunjoo & Geonhee’s vocal tone blends perfectly with the song and it doesn’t shows any sign of the two being new members. They fit in with this style and with ease. In fact, during the entirety of the song; the members don’t rely on high notes or random adlibs but still show strength and emotion in their voices. All the more reason for the group to stick with this formula in the future. “Nom Nom Nom” was a dip back into the folk-style eccentric that many fans know the original Sunny Hill for but the label plays their cards right, there could be a rebirth on the cards as the group seem completely in their element with “Adiós Amor”.
However, would this be a song that can be promoted effectively? Could it hold its own in a music video and on music shows? Possibly. The song itself has the essence of a pre-release track; maybe paving the way for a full production release. Maybe even a B-Side song to begin promotions for the next title song. It is unfortunate because the group has grown since 2007 and danced from concept to concept. After their first foray as a fully-fledged girl group, this song seems a little toned down but at the time of this article, the song is just released on streaming platforms so there is a possibility that this idea is debunked and the ladies have more up their sleeve. Until then, it is time to play “The Grasshopper Song” on repeat once again and welcome back Sunny Hill with open arms.
