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 |
Grade: B
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I was pleasantly surprised that it opened with him singing. but then we get to that absolutely horrid chorus. thank God he’s hot.
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Well they got the energy level just right.
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The song’s title alone definitely raised my eyebrows, and while I won’t dive too deeply into that, HUTA certainly brings an unbelievable amount of energy with his “POP! POP! POP! POPPING!”
To be completely honest, the chorus caught me so off guard that I actually had to pause the track in pure disbelief. Between the “vroom vroom vroom” lines and the highly unique “sing-talk” delivery, it is easily one of the most eccentric vocal performances I have heard in a while.
Musically, the instrumental feels a bit conflicted, as the heavy brass and trap elements seem to compete with one another rather than blend smoothly. The production is incredibly wild, and when paired with such quirky lyrics, it makes for an undeniably chaotic but highly entertaining listen. Additionally, his vocal delivery leaned a bit too nasal for my personal taste in this particular style.
Ultimately, I was left in absolute shock by this release, but HUTA still managed to get a chuckle out of me. His high-energy and weird performance almost makes the track feel like a spontaneous open mic routine. It may not be an interesting track but at least it was funny.
Final Rating: 6.75 (Breakdown: 6, 7, 7, 7)
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for me, unlistenable 💔
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I don’t see the appeal. The chorus is quite bad. The vocals sound too plain to me as well. 6.75
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