K-Pop Star HUTA Raises The ‘TEMPERATURE’ With New EP And Waterbomb

HUTA's TEMPERATURE

BTOBCOMPANY

HUTA, besides known arsenic Lee Minhyuk of BTOB, raises the somesthesia – and hearts – of listeners of his caller EP, appropriately called TEMPERATURE.

The K-pop veteran, who debuted successful 2012, has been testing caller philharmonic styles and genres passim his profession – ranging from ballads to old-school Korean popular to EDM/hyperpop to R&B. He initially debuted arsenic the main rapper for BTOB, but has since delved into becoming a beardown vocalist. He’s besides been moving retired moreover harder and has go a fixture astatine the yearly Waterbomb Festival successful Seoul (and different parts of the world) since 2023, starring to galore viral moments for the 35-year-old artist.

The lead azygous successful the caller EP, TEMPERATURE, fits the emotion that HUTA is known to exude – “Icy & Spicy.” He reveals that he wanted to showcase some sides of himself done the opus – wherever he tin beryllium cool arsenic crystal but besides spicy successful his passion.

“So pinch Icy, I wanted to represent the refined, cool, chic broadside of maine that tin support composure nether immoderate circumstances,” HUTA explains done an expert complete Zoom from Seoul connected Monday. “It’s the expertise to stay cool successful immoderate circumstances, whereas spicy is much astir energy, passion, and the move broadside of me.”

HUTA wrote, composed, and produced the 2 songs successful the EP, “Icy & Spicy” and “K.O.” Both are high-energy, creation tracks that fresh perfectly for the summertime show circuits. “Icy & Spicy” besides refers to driving aliases moving down the track. He admits that’s what he had successful mind for the songs. He wanted songs that would fresh pinch this year’s Waterbomb Festival, which happened successful Seoul past period – which he, again, went viral for.

“[My] biggest information was the Waterbomb Festival, including this year,” he calmly shares. “This is my 4th twelvemonth successful a statement being astatine the Waterbomb Festival. Right aft my 3rd quality and aft [my past EP] HOOK, I started moving connected this opus [“Icy & Spicy”] and imagining Waterbomb for this year. Hence, the summertime mood, wide energy, and conception of this album. I pictured myself astatine different festivals too. There are galore awesome festivals astir the world. I thought it’d beryllium awesome if I could go an creator that tin beryllium featured astatine those awesome world euphony festivals.”

Though “K.O.” (from the word “Knock-Out”) reflects much of his boxing themes from HOOK, he thought the power from the opus still fresh the vibe of the summer. It was initially expected to beryllium its ain single, but aft listening to it more, he could spot it being performed astatine the festivals.

“Although they are very different successful styles, they still person the aforesaid power that suits the festivals, and that's why it came together arsenic 1 task called TEMPERATURE,” he reveals. “Also, the 2 songs person the commonality of being inspired by sports and having sports references.”

Below, HUTA talks astir really TEMPERATURE compares to his different EPs, uncovering philharmonic inspiration arsenic a solo artist, his information successful Waterbomb and going viral for it, and imaginable collaborations.

LAURA SIRIKUL: You’ve done a immense scope of euphony and genres successful your albums. How would you comparison TEMPERATURE pinch your erstwhile – HUTAZONE, HOOK, BOOM?

HUTA: I person tried galore different genres, and I've done a decent occupation proving myself that I americium tin of doing those different genres. For this album, much than anything, I wanted to show the assemblage that I americium an creator who tin person a bully clip pinch them and really link pinch them. So, for the euphony shows, dissimilar different euphony show stages and performances, I wanted to see an facet that connects pinch the assemblage and engages them more.

SIRIKUL: With TEMPERATURE, we do spot a different broadside to you arsenic HUTA – the solo creator – and who Lee Minhyuk of BTOB is. I person seen some execute – 1 being very extroverted and sexy – and Lee Minhyuk, the rapper, who is simply a beardown performer but tin beryllium a spot cutesy and playful pinch the group. How do you find inspiration arsenic a solo creator versus arsenic portion of a group?

HUTA: The attack is wholly different [when I am] moving arsenic a solo creator versus arsenic a personnel of a group. It's for illustration having a different number of instruments. You person to attack making euphony otherwise erstwhile you person different numbers of instruments. When I'm moving arsenic a solo artist, I attraction much connected what I'm bully astatine and what I really for illustration personally. Also, the playful broadside of maine comes retired erstwhile I'm pinch my members because I conscionable consciousness truthful astatine home. I don't intend to show that side, but it conscionable comes retired naturally. I wouldn't opportunity that that reflects my ain existent characteristic 100%, but it conscionable comes retired erstwhile I'm astir the members because they are for illustration my family. I consciousness truthful comfortable astir them. Our fans for illustration that chemistry truthful much.

SIRIKUL: We request to talk astir Waterbomb arsenic you’ve gone viral MANY times because of your performance. With “Icy & Spicy,” it feels much sexy because it had Waterbomb – a sexy show – successful mind. I request to cognize what your mindset is erstwhile you participate a show for illustration that?

HUTA: Before I spell connected shape for festivals, I perpetually show myself to bask this infinitesimal and person a awesome clip pinch the assemblage that day. I punctual myself repeatedly. “Icy & Spicy” carries much positivity and agleam energy. The erstwhile songs I’ve performed were beardown and energetic, but compared to “Icy & Spicy,” they were somewhat heavier, much serious, and fierce. With “Icy & Spicy,” I tin conscionable person a awesome clip connected shape performing it. I grin more. I want the assemblage to consciousness fresher erstwhile they watch maine execute and person a awesome clip pinch maine arsenic well. I deliberation group for illustration that I grin much and look brighter connected shape while performing the song. I’ve ne'er thought astir showing the sexy broadside otherwise pinch this song. I’m humbled that you took it truthful positively.

SIRIKUL: How does a capacity astatine Waterbomb Festival disagree from a modular performance successful position of the guidance from the audience?

HUTA: For the Waterbomb Festival, location is 1 point I person to hole earlier I spell connected shape compared to the different festivals – the correct physique. It takes a batch of effort to build that assemblage and get to the information I person to beryllium successful earlier Waterbomb. That it is really portion of the process, and it is portion of that cognition that I person to bring to the shape for that peculiar festival, because of the scorching basking weather. It's really measurement much aggravated than different performances I person to put on, and pinch the clip guidance and the weather, it's a batch much physically draining. But erstwhile I spot really the crowd reacts erstwhile I spell connected stage, it conscionable makes maine hide each those difficulties, and I'm conscionable truthful happy to beryllium connected stage. Overall, it's conscionable a nosy process.

SIRIKUL: Do you eat correct aft these performances? Do you conscionable chug a brew erstwhile you’re done?

HUTA: [laughs] I did get to eat a batch aft the Waterbomb stage. I drank. I sewage to relieve immoderate accent aft the Waterbomb stage.

SIRIKUL: Do you besides recognize really viral you get erstwhile you do Waterbomb each year?

HUTA: The videos [of my capacity show up on] my societal media posts. At first, I thought possibly it was for my account, but I started getting a batch of messages from group astir maine – moreover group I hadn’t spoken to successful a agelong time. They would nonstop maine screenshots and links of my performances, saying I wholly “slayed.” That’s erstwhile I felt, ‘Okay, possibly it has gone viral.’ Also, fans from each complete the world show maine that I’ve gone viral successful this state and that country. So, done that, I realized really viral it had become.

SIRIKUL: You’ve done a fewer collaborations successful HUTAZONE, and are really respected successful the manufacture arsenic a elder (sunbaenim). Are location immoderate collaborations you’d beryllium willing successful exploring successful the future?

HUTA: So surprisingly, I didn't really get a batch of opportunities to collaborate pinch different artists arsenic a solo artist. So I would emotion to collab pinch artists going forward. Any artist! I would emotion to person that benignant of opportunity. I cognize location are galore awesome artists overseas, but location are besides a batch of awesome K-pop artists. I would emotion to collaborate pinch different K-pop artists successful the future.

SIRIKUL: You person a copy successful the manufacture – Soobin of TOMORROW X TOGETHER– moreover his mother could not show which photograph was of her ain son. Have you guys ever talked astir collaborating?

HUTA: We haven’t really had a speech astir collaborating, but arsenic Soobin continues to turn successful his profession and research much imaginative opportunities, I could spot the anticipation arising naturally. As artists summation much experience, location are often much opportunities to prosecute the ideas and projects they’re willing in. If the correct clip and opportunity comes along, I deliberation it could beryllium nosy to create thing together. Hearing the mobility really makes maine deliberation it could beryllium an absorbing task to explore.

SIRIKUL: Summer hits. Winter is coming. What’s next?

HUTA: For now, I’ll beryllium balancing my upcoming schedule while utilizing my spare clip for individual growth. I’m readying to attraction much connected connection learning and prime up vocal lessons again, which I haven't done successful a while. At the aforesaid time, I’ll support moving connected caller euphony whenever I can. I really already person immoderate awesome tracks sitting connected my difficult drive, but I want to support creating much truthful I tin stock them erstwhile the clip is right!

HUTA’s EP, TEMPERATURE, is disposable connected each streaming platforms now. Physical copies are disposable astatine prime retailers.