Lee Minhyuk’s “Huta” moniker is used for his solo work, which differs in sound from his work with BTOB. Not much of this music has done anything for me so far, but he’s a dynamic performer deserving of strong material. Summer is the perfect time for new material from him, especially given his strong connection to the Waterbomb festival.
New single Icy & Spicy will definitely work as a nice soundtrack to Waterbomb. Its high-octane energy and percussive drive get the party started automatically and Minhyuk makes an effective ringleader. The melodic verses set the tone before we plunge into Icy‘s beat-drop chorus. As with the majority of K-pop this year, there’s not much singing in this chorus. Instead, Minhyuk grunts and snarls a few choice words, letting the production do the talking. For this to be effective, the instrumental must be a total banger. Fortunately, this time it is.
Icy & Spicy is at its best during the second half of its chorus when the production adds flourishes of brass to create a carnival-like environment. A longer runtime would allow this to blossom into an unforgettable finale and I wish Icy & Spicy had more confidence in its ability to hold listeners’ attention, but for what it is this is a solid party track. At the very least, it’s nice to hear a burst of unfettered energy in K-pop this summer.
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8.25