[Review] "Pray" by Sunny Hill

Sunny Hill's "Pray"�is far more organic and melodious than the group's previous single, "Midnight Circus", but don't let the fact that it's a ballad fool you. "Pray" holds�some pretty intense moments for a K-Pop ballad, and given that they're under the creative house of LOEN Entertainment, I'm not surprised they've managed to turn heads a second time. This year, Sunny Hill have shaken things up in K-Pop by releasing unconventional music - at least as far as Korean pop is concerned - and they've garnered a new following by doing so. Sunny Hill is a talented group and they're in the hands of creative people who understand the purpose of a concept, in that a concept not only melds visuals with music, but is designed to evoke a powerful response from their audience. Their creativity really blossoms with "Pray", a dark song driven�by a simple piano line and acoustic guitar. It begins unraveling as the song progresses, then pulls back in instances of high tension, delivering an effect akin to that of waves breaking underneath the cold moonlight. Vocally, Jubi, Seung Ah, and Kota match that exact sorrowful feeling with a set of melodic whispers. I find their restrained singing very compelling in this context, as it binds this song into a minimalistic "straightjacket", so to speak. "Pray" is full of dark emotions that are restrained in a beautifully artistic manner, and their chilling music video further elevated the song's haunting charm. Sunny Hill have definitely turned a new leaf with this artistic direction, and the icy touch of "Pray" is helping them express a different set of emotions than they did through "Midnight Circus". � http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uive4DMqAdc � Overall Rating: 4.4/5 a cold and simple ballad, but powerful at once � What are your thoughts on Sunny Hill's digital single? � Suggestions for a future review? Hit the author up on Twitter (@rothsresidence) or via e-mail (arnold.arteaga@allkpop.com)! � Rating Overview: 0 � 1.9 ; poor, without any redeeming qualities 2.0 � 2.9 ; mediocre, but with some saving graces 3.0 � 3.9 ; good, with noteworthy highs and lows 4.0 � 4.9 ; excellent, with minimal flaws 5 ; superior, and as near to perfection as the song/album can be � Note: This article does not reflect the opinions of allkpop, only of the author.