Apart from his activities with BTOB and undeniable presence at events like Waterbomb, Lee Minhyuk has developed a solo career under the moniker “Huta.” I can’t say that much of his solo music has appealed to me, but I appreciate how it sounds so different from that of his group. New title track Bora is a thumping electro banger miles away from BTOB’s typical balladry.
This is also the second title track today that clocks in at just over two minutes. This approach has become very common in dance music, making it possible for DJs to mix more songs into an allotted time frame. However, it often results in fragments of songs — extended samplers rather than full meals. This is how Bora comes across. Even with its short running time, it doesn’t do a whole lot. It lays down its groove, casts a few uninspired sing-talk hooks over the top, and ends abruptly. It feels more like a special dance performance video than a title track meant to usher in an artist’s new project. And as such, it would likely take a transitional place on any playlist. An interlude, basically.
I don’t imagine it was Huta’s intention to release an interlude, but I wish he would have taken an extra minute or so to turn Bora into a more functional track. We could have had a nice (maybe even sung?) chorus and a sense of build-and-release that would have lent Bora greater musical scope and stakes. Instead, we get some perfectly fine background music for those ‘in-between-songs’ moments at a dance club.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
