Pentagon’s Hui enters his solo career with the wind at his back, boosted by prominent Boys Planet promotion last year. He’s the rare idol soloist who can confidently compose his own material, though I’ve felt he often gives his best songs to other acts. Hmm Bop sees him taking on a boisterous funk personality, and I’m not sure it works.
First off, a nineties kid like me will only think of one thing when they see the title “Hmm Bop.” I don’t expect Hui to go full-on Hanson, but wouldn’t that be interesting? Instead, Hui casts his inspiration even further back, embracing a vocal persona reminiscent of James Brown. The thing is, not many people can make this style work. That’s no knock to Hui. It’s very difficult to get it right. Hmm Bop wants to be freewheeling and fun but comes closer to repetitive and irritating. There’s just not much of a song here. It’s mostly Hui careening through the brassy instrumental, lodging exclamation after exclamation our way.
Listening to the highlight medley of his album, the rest of the songs feel much more suited to his talent. So, let’s just call Hmm Bop an indulgent experiment — hopefully a step toward stronger material within this same genre.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25