Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Anni Pohto – DEEP (2020)

Haunting pianos and hip-hop are two things that seem like they should not go together. Well, that is exactly what Anni Pohto combines for her stunning single ‘DEEP. Through the interesting musical element fusion, the single looks at facing our inner darkness and why you need to in order to find happiness.

The single is the first off her upcoming concept album which is based on emotional vibrations. Each track represents an emotional frequency and delves deep into them. This is felt through this single as it works as a tantalising taster for the album. The emotional impact of the single is also brought to life in the stunning and powerful music video.



‘DEEP’ opens with the piano line which is interesting as it is played in a different key and on a slower tempo than the other instruments in the melody. There is a stop-start movement to the melody at the start as the piano line offers a deep haunting tone. This takes a turn into more hip-hop beats part-way through the single, but the piano remains in the background. The lower key of the piano has a dark haunting quality while the hip-hop tones form the higher levels of the melody. The choppy feeling of the music brings a contemporary feeling to it while offering a musical representation of the hesitation we feel when delving into our inner darkness.

Pohto’s vocals add another layer to the textured melody. Her vocal performance is at a different tempo to the piano, but is in line with the hip-hop beats. As with the melody, there is an interesting movement to her vocals as it hits the stop-stop sections. She also moves from a flowing line to a more hip-hop cadence.



The music video for the single features World Record holding under ice freediver Johanna Nordblad. During the haunting opening, she is shown in a white dress against a white background and underwater in the darkness. These are stunning visuals that capture the topic of the lyrics while offering their own haunting imagery. This continues when the more hip-hop beats come, but the flow of her movements change to match the music.

Anni Pohto has you delving into your inner darkness and lets you know why you need to in her stunning single ‘DEEP’. A mixture of deep haunting piano lines and light hip-hop beats, the single is a stunning listening experience. This is capture in all its glory for the music video which brings a feeling of elegance to the inner struggle of the song.

Find out more about Anni Pohto on her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.

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