BTS’ J-Hope becomes the first member of the group to release a solo album after the announcement last month that the group will be taking a break to focus on individual projects. His album, titled Jack in the Box was released on July 15 at 9:30 AM IST (1 PM KST), along with a music video for the title track Arson.
Previously, J-Hope had pre-released MORE from the album along with a music video. The song garnered millions of views within the first few hours of release, gaining the fans’ support. Arson, released this morning, reflects on the conflict of J-Hope about his artistry as he walks through the fire and debris around him in the music video.
Though this is his first solo album, it is not his first solo release. He released his first mixtape titled Hope World in March 2018, with 7 tracks and two music videos. The mixtape was uploaded to BTS’ SoundCloud for free. The step away from Hope World's colourful visuals in Jack in the Box surprised fans worldwide.
The album features ten tracks in total, alongside MORE and Arson: Intro, Pandora’s Box, MORE, STOP, = (Equal Sign), Music Box: Reflection, What If…, Safety Zone, Future and Arson.
The night before the release of Jack in the Box, J-Hope’s entertainment company BigHit Music had held a pre-release party at their company, which saw many popular celebrities in attendance. From the BTS members to Jessi, Sunmi, hip-hop artists Tiger JK and Yoonmirae, actor and K-Pop idol Cha Eunwoo, and even popular band BIGBANG’s Taeyang, many celebrities attended the party.
Speaking to a media house on the release of the album, J-Hope was quoted as saying: “I’m very curious how people will react. But what I really want to say, is that the album is filled with my soul and my sincerity. In that way, it’s a unique album, and the album is very meaningful because, in terms of musicality, it’s going to act as a stepping stone for J-Hope to go forward.”
J-Hope will also be headlining the major US music festival Lollapalooza, becoming the first South Korean artist to do so. The festival will begin on July 28.
Other members are also foraying into their solo works, with member Jungkook releasing a collaboration Left and Right with American singer Charlie Puth.
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