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

HUTA’s TEMPERATURE

BTOBCOMPANY

HUTA, also known as LEEMINHYUK of BTOB, raises the temperature – and hearts – of listeners of his new EP, appropriately called TEMPERATURE.

The K-pop veteran, who debuted in 2012, has been testing new musical styles and genres throughout his career – ranging from ballads to old-school Korean pop to EDM/hyperpop to R&B. He initially debuted as the main rapper for BTOB, but has since delved into becoming a strong vocalist. He’s also been working out even harder and has become a fixture at the annual Waterbomb Festival in Seoul (and other parts of the world) since 2023, leading to many viral moments for the 35-year-old artist.

The lead single in the new EP, TEMPERATURE, fits the feeling that HUTA is known to exude – “Icy & Spicy.” He reveals that he wanted to showcase both sides of himself through the song – where he can be cool as ice but also spicy in his passion.

“So with Icy, I wanted to portray the refined, cool, chic side of me that can maintain composure under whatever circumstances,” HUTA explains through an interpreter over Zoom from Seoul on Monday. “It’s the ability to remain cool in any circumstances, whereas spicy is more about energy, passion, and the dynamic side of me.”

HUTA wrote, composed, and produced the two songs in the EP, “Icy & Spicy” and “KO.” Both are high-energy, dance tracks that fit perfectly for the summer festival circuits. “Icy & Spicy” also refers to driving or running down the track. He admits that’s what he had in mind for the songs. He wanted songs that would fit with this year’s Waterbomb Festival, which happened in Seoul last month – which he, again, went viral for.

“[My] biggest motivation was the Waterbomb Festival, including this year,” he calmly shares. “This is my fourth year in a row being at the Waterbomb Festival. Right after my third appearance and after [my last EP] HOOK, I started working on this song [“Icy & Spicy”] and imagining Waterbomb for this year. Hence, the summer mood, overall energy, and concept of this album. I pictured myself at other festivals too. There are many great festivals around the world. I thought it’d be great if I could become an artist that can be featured at those great global music festivals.”

Though “KO” (from the term “Knock-Out”) reflects more of his boxing themes from HOOK, he thought the energy from the song still fit the vibe of the summer. It was initially supposed to be its own single, but after listening to it more, he could see it being performed at the festivals.

“Although they are very different in styles, they still have the same energy that suits the festivals, and that’s why it came together as one project called TEMPERATURE,” he reveals. “Also, the two songs have the commonality of being inspired by sports and having sports references.”

Below, HUTA talks about how TEMPERATURE compares to his other EPs, finding musical inspiration as a solo artist, his participation in Waterbomb and going viral for it, and potential collaborations.

LAURA SIRIKUL: You’ve done a huge range of music and genres in your albums. How would you compare TEMPERATURE with your previous – HUTAZONE, HOOK, BOOM?

HUTA: I have tried many different genres, and I’ve done a decent job proving myself that I am capable of doing those different genres. For this album, more than anything, I wanted to show the audience that I am an artist who can have a good time with them and really connect with them. So, for the music shows, unlike other music show stages and performances, I wanted to include an aspect that connects with the audience and engages them more.

SIRIKUL: With TEMPERATURE, we do see a different side to you as HUTA – the solo artist – and who LEEMINHYUK of BTOB is. I have seen both perform – one being very extroverted and sexy – and LEEMINHYUK, the rapper, who is a strong performer but can be a bit cutesy and playful with the group. How do you find inspiration as a solo artist versus as part of a group?

HUTA: The approach is totally different [when I am] working as a solo artist versus as a member of a group. It’s like having a different number of instruments. You have to approach making music differently when you have different numbers of instruments. When I’m working as a solo artist, I focus more on what I’m good at and what I really like personally. Also, the playful side of me comes out when I’m with my members because I just feel so at home. I don’t intend to show that side, but it just comes out naturally. I wouldn’t say that that reflects my own actual personality 100%, but it just comes out when I’m around the members because they are like my family. I feel so comfortable around them. Our fans like that chemistry so much.

SIRIKUL: We need to talk about Waterbomb as you’ve gone viral MANY times because of your performance. With “Icy & Spicy,” it feels more sexy because it had Waterbomb – a sexy festival – in mind. I need to know what your mindset is when you enter a festival like that?

HUTA: Before I go on stage for festivals, I constantly tell myself to enjoy this moment and have a great time with the audience that day. I remind myself repeatedly. “Icy & Spicy” carries more positivity and bright energy. The previous songs I’ve performed were strong and energetic, but compared to “Icy & Spicy,” they were somewhat heavier, more serious, and fierce. With “Icy & Spicy,” I can just have a great time on stage performing it. I smile more. I want the audience to feel fresher when they watch me perform and have a great time with me as well. I think people like that I smile more and look brighter on stage while performing the song. I’ve never thought about showing the sexy side differently with this song. I’m humbled that you took it so positively.

SIRIKUL: How does a performance at Waterbomb Festival differ from a standard concert in terms of the reaction from the audience?

HUTA: For the Waterbomb Festival, there is one thing I have to prepare before I go on stage compared to the other festivals – the right physique. It takes a lot of effort to build that body and get to the condition I have to be in before Waterbomb. That it is actually part of the process, and it is part of that attitude that I have to bring to the stage for that particular festival, because of the scorching hot weather. It’s actually way more intense than other performances I have to put on, and with the time management and the weather, it’s a lot more physically draining. But when I see how the crowd reacts when I go on stage, it just makes me forget all those difficulties, and I’m just so happy to be on stage. Overall, it’s just a fun process.

SIRIKUL: Do you eat right after these performances? Do you just chug a beer when you’re done?

HUTA: [laughs] I did get to eat a lot after the Waterbomb stage. I drank. I got to relieve some stress after the Waterbomb stage.

SIRIKUL: Do you also realize how viral you get when you do Waterbomb every year?

HUTA: The videos [of my performance show up on] my social media posts. At first, I thought maybe it was for my account, but I started getting a lot of messages from people around me – even people I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. They would send me screenshots and links of my performances, saying I completely “slayed.” That’s when I felt, ‘Okay, maybe it has gone viral.’ Also, fans from all over the world tell me that I’ve gone viral in this country and that country. So, through that, I realized how viral it had become.

SIRIKUL: You’ve done a few collaborations in HUTAZONE, and are really respected in the industry as a senior (sunbaenim). Are there any collaborations you’d be interested in exploring in the future?

HUTA: So surprisingly, I didn’t really get a lot of opportunities to collaborate with other artists as a solo artist. So I would love to collab with artists going forward. Any artist! I would love to have that kind of opportunity. I know there are many great artists overseas, but there are also a lot of great K-pop artists. I would love to collaborate with other K-pop artists in the future.

SIRIKUL: You have a twin in the industry – Soobin of TOMORROW X TOGETHER– even his mother could not tell which photo was of her own son. Have you guys ever talked about collaborating?

HUTA: We haven’t actually had a conversation about collaborating, but as Soobin continues to grow in his career and explore more creative opportunities, I could see the possibility arising naturally. As artists gain more experience, there are often more opportunities to pursue the ideas and projects they’re interested in. If the right time and opportunity comes along, I think it could be fun to create something together. Hearing the question actually makes me think it could be an interesting project to explore.

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

HUTA: For now, I’ll be balancing my upcoming schedule while using my spare time for personal growth. I’m planning to focus more on language learning and pick up vocal lessons again, which I haven’t done in a while. At the same time, I’ll keep working on new music whenever I can. I actually already have some great tracks sitting on my hard drive, but I want to keep creating more so I can share them when the time is right!

HUTA’s EP, TEMPERATURE, is available on all streaming platforms now. Physical copies are available at select retailers.