It's a new dawn for Sunny Hill with "Midnight Circus"...

Album jacket for Sunny Hill's new mini-album, "Midnight Circus"
The members of Sunny Hill --- (L to R): Jang Hyun, Seung Ah, Kota,  
Ju-B, and Misung

[UPDATE] June 7, 2011 1:53 AM (GMT +8) --- At last, I was able to match their names to who they are in the pictures! Hahaha! Somebody in Inkigayo actually thought of putting their names for their intro vid prior to their performance! Good job!

When a group has a comeback album with the title "Midnight Circus", you can't really help but stop and tell yourself, "I want to listen to that". You can't really discount the power of a an interesting title, creative packaging (I liked the red-black temptation theme that was going on in the album cover), and an ironic group name like "Sunny Hill". The 5 member co-ed group (meaning they have both male and female members) composed of Jang Hyun (the lone guy of the group), Seung Ah, Ju-B, Kota and Misung just released their new mini-album together with their MV for the title track.

Since I haven't really heard of Sunny Hill before hearing their music, I just had to do some research about them --- and I have to say that they are probably one of the most internationally obscure Kpop groups on the face of the planet! I've been to Soompi and other English sites, and there is barely any information on this group anywhere (not to mention recent pictures of the group... so you'll have to forgive me for the lack of relevant visuals this time around).


One of the things I read about this group was that they were originally a trio composed of Jang Hyun, Seung Ah and Joobi. They just added two new female members (Kota and Misung) during their extended hiatus. Considering their name, the group was originally known for light-hearted pop love songs. I've listened to a couple of their popular tracks from 2007 and 2008 (Ring Back and My Girl), and I have to agree that they catered more to the cheesy side of Kpop when they were much younger. Although cliche, I noticed that the group has strong vocal talent, and that they harmonize really well together.

(L to R): Jang Hyun, Kota, Ju-B, Seung Ah, Misung

They haven't exactly been resting on their laurels though during the time when they were inactive as a solo group. Apparently the members of the group have gone back to the books to study music to improve on their craft. Apart from that, they've been known to be regular contributors to OSTs for some popular K-dramas, and have been active in the scene through collaborations with very popular Kpop artists. With enough research, I discovered two favorite collab tracks from Sunny Hill --- Narsha's "Mamma Mia" (Narsha is from the uber-cool girl group Brown Eyed Girls / BEG), and their collab track with jazz duo Romantic Couch, "Like A Virgin".

"Mamma Mia" by Narsha feat. Sunny Hill (MV with Eng Subs)

"Like A Virgin" by Romantic Couch feat. Kota of Sunny Hill (MV Only)

Their recent collaboration tracks have shown an interesting fact though --- they have begun a shift from their usual kpop-cheesy-bubblegum image to something more provocative. They apparently have experimented with electro-jazz and hip-hop, creating a distinct sound.

Sunny Hill's comeback has been fueled with a lot of anticipation because of all the starpower that being pumped up into the game. Since they're being backed up now with a stronger talent agency, Loen Entertainment (the same agency that manages IU), and with all of the collab work they've done in the past, some stars have stepped up to lend a helping hand in Sunny Hill's comeback --- like GaIn of BEG, IU, and Lee Kikwang of BEAST (yes... his yummy-ness made a quick cameo in the MV for "Midnight Circus" hehehe!).

MV Teasers for "Midnight Circus" (feat. GaIn of BEG and IU)

When I watched their comeback MV, I was amazed at the vivid imagery and with the play of themes between the MV and the song. The song "Midnight Circus" is mostly an analogy to the loneliness felt by people who are neglected or taken for granted --- feeling trapped and used for show. The theme is excellently juxtaposed with the images of the members of Sunny Hill being part of a circus troupe.

You have to admire the director for creating a dark and haunting retro background to match the theme of the song. The members are also shown as puppets with their strings being cut, as if being freed from blind loyalty. It's an impressive MV for an equally well performed song.

"Midnight Circus" by Sunny Hill (MV with Eng Subs)

The second track of the album coming from the intro, "꼭두각시" (roughly translated as "Puppeteer" / "Puppetry"), is a mid-tempo song that involves more of the vocal talents of Jang Hyun in harmony with the female members of the team. When the song begins, you begin to think that the song's going to be a ballad because of the guitar harmony, but when the percussion begins to set in, it becomes an interesting contrast of sounds (combining jazz, acoustic percussion, guitar work and some electro-pop).

 "꼭두각시" by Sunny Hill (Audio Only)

Their 4th track, "Let's Talk About", ups the tempo into the range of electro-dance pop. The use of Spanish guitars to contrast the synthesized beats. To top it off, Sunny Hill's harmonization and vocals are outstanding in this track!

"Let's Talk About" by Sunny Hill feat. Ji-A (Audio Only)

It looks like the all the time Sunny Hill has spent preparing for their comeback has all paid off. They've worked on writing and producing most of the tracks themselves, which becomes a testament to their artistry and their commercial viability. I do hope to hear more work from them soon. In the meanwhile, I'll be playing their songs on my iPod over and over again.