Firsthand Impressions of Sunny, B.A.P, Rainbow, and Sunny Hill at SBS MTV “Music Island”

A couple weeks ago, I had a chance to personally meet the Girls’ Generation’s Sunny, IU, B.A.P, Rainbow, Sunny Hill, and Jung Yeop at the set of SBS MTV’s “Music Island.” We were given an exclusive backstage pass, which allowed us to talk and interview some of the artists and staff members. Here are some of my firsthand impressions of Sunny, B.A.P, Rainbow, and Sunny Hill!

(In case you haven’t seen it already, make sure you watch our exclusive behind-the-scene video of the first episode of “Music Island” here!)

Sunny: When it was first announced that Sunny would be the sole MC of the show, I had some concerns over her ability to lead the entire show, especially with such a star-studded cast. She proved me wrong. Throughout the show, Sunny kept her composure and made everyone engaged to make it a complete “live talk music show” experience. One of the toughest tasks as the host of this type of show is to ensure every guest gets the equal amount of engagement, while balancing serious talks and light jokes. Her communication was clear and simple, had some pretty good jokes, and more than anything, did a perfect job of getting the entire crowd involved by asking questions and talking to the audience. I would say she has huge potential as a show host in the future.

B.A.P: I have to admit that at first I was quite intimated by their looks. Contrary to some of the other male idol stars, B.A.P is actually pretty tall and big. Add to the fact that they’re all blondes, wear skull-designed masks, and baggy pants and hoodies, and you get a whole group of “badass” kids. But it turns out those were all stereotypical misperceptions. After seeing and talking to them, I found out they were in fact some of the nicest kids, giving 90 degree bows to everyone on the set and always being polite and thoughtful with their words/actions. It was the same during our exclusive interview with them. They couldn’t stop joking and having fun with our crew, but at the same time, they had a really pure and innocent side to them, which made me realize, after all, these are just 18 year old kids (The youngest member Zelo’s 15).

Rainbow: I was already pretty impressed with Rainbow before seeing them in person, but “Music Island” just cemented the deal. My respect and infatuation for Rainbow, especially Jaekyung, have only grown through this experience, and it’s hard to believe how such a talented and beautiful group has gone fairly unnoticed so far in the industry. They were by far the most noticeable and easily recognizable artists. I see a long career ahead of them. Jaekyung needs to get her own solo album, too.

Sunny Hill: I almost forgot how good Sunny Hill was. Not many people realize they actually debuted in 2007 with “Ring Back Tone,” which at the time was pretty popular on the charts. Unfortunately, it was only their song that really made headlines and the artist itself did not get much publicity, leaving them as one of those “musicians without faces (i.e. fans don’t know who sang the song).” Fast forward five years, and now Sunny Hill is one of the fastest up and coming artists for their funky, almost exotic, beats. At “Music Island,” Sunny Hill gave a live performance of “Ring Back Tone” with a little acoustic twist to it, drawing renewed interest from the audience.