BTS rapper and producer J-Hope on July 15 released his debut full-length solo album ‘Jack in the Box’ and the fiery music video for the second title track ‘Arson’, both of which highlight his more complex and introspective side.
‘Jack in the Box’ features 10 tracks — most of which have a heavy old-school hip hop vibe — that touch upon feelings of self-doubt, fear for the future and hope for the future. Incidentally, the album title is based to the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box and the intro track refers to how the last thing left in the box was hope.
The first track and music video ‘More’ from the South Korean artist was released on July 1. ‘Arson’ is the closing track on the album and the video sees J-Hope surrounded by burning vehicles as he spits out a rap about his work and ambitions.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, J-Hope (real name Jung Ho-seok) opened up about the message he wanted to share with ‘Jack in the Box’, which is his second solo work after 2018 EP ‘Hope World’.
“While being part of BTS for 10 years, I’ve experienced a lot. From that standpoint, of course there are stories I want to tell, and I realised that it could be tough to tell some of these stories through music with the existing image and vibe of J-Hope,” he said. “I felt the need to show some of my darker aspects … and I think I really wanted to do something like this. I wanted people to realise that J-Hope isn’t limited to bright things. He can do these concepts and has a wide spectrum. I wanted to call attention to this ability by challenging myself.”
J-Hope, 28, is set to perform a one-hour set at Chicago music festival Lollapalooza on July 31, making him the first South Korean artist to ever headline a main stage at a major US music festival.
