J-Hope's Instagram
Ria ChakrabortyKpopmap Contributor
During their 2022 FESTA dinner on 14th June, hot on the heels of their ninth anniversary and four days after the release of their anthology album, "Proof", BTS announced that they will focus on their solo activities for the time being. In June, American hitmaker, Charlie Puth, released a lovesick pop single titled 'Left and Right', a collaborative endeavour, featuring JungKook, one of the main vocalists of BTS.
The band’s label announced that J-Hope, BTS’ main dancer and rapper, would be the first member to release a full-length solo album that seeks to shed light on his individual creative aspirations and style. The multi-talented musician is also set to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 31st, making him the first South Korean artist to headline the iconic event, which is also one of the longest-running music festivals in the United States.
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On July 1st, J-Hope released his new single titled 'MORE'. In his tangibly grunge pre-release solo track, J-Hope sheds the skin of his erstwhile effortlessly jovial self and adorns the moody, dark-tinted rockstar persona; the song is oozing with a hint of soft indie-punk and nineties-inspired hip-hop rock. The single is a harbinger of a more emo eon of J-Hope, palpably distinct from the endearing Hobi (J-Hope) that the fans so adoringly equate with sunbursts of smiles; 'MORE' showcases how J-Hope’s upcoming LP, "Jack in the Box" would signify a marked departure from the trajectory of his 2018 mixtape, "Hope World".
An Overview of J-Hope’s Musical Legacy, Style, and Influences
"Hope World", J-Hope’s 2018 solo offering, which made him the highest-charting Korean soloist on the Billboard 200 list at the time, depicts revelry of the self: brimming with acceptance, gratitude and an unfettered ray of childlike optimism. J-Hope conjures a new, unexplored world, spilling with eruptions of ecstatic hues and limitless imagination, especially in songs such as 'Daydream', which seeks to transcend his idol façade and delve deeper into his latent thought-processes and desires; whereas, 'Hangsang' lucidly captures the hurdles and deep-set prejudices that he overcame with his band and in the lyrics, he recounts his gratitude for his fellow members. Through the song 'Airplane', J-Hope takes on his haters in a tactfully polite yet, serrated manner: his clever jabs are paradigms of adroit wordplay; he reflects on his success, but, also carries the air of humility of a starry-eyed little boy from Gwangju throughout the track.
"Hope World" is visually immersive and consists of upbeat, tempo-laden house music with his signature style of trap-rapping; the tunes are lush with literary references, ranging from "Harry Potter", "Alice in Wonderland" to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne and the songs are also able to accommodate social commentary, grounded in his observations and his critique of the environment that surrounds him.
'MORE' Music Video and Lyric Analysis
Through 'MORE', J-Hope dons a starkly different, hardcore alter-ego, as the song is reminiscent of metal-based alternative music with a relentless bass-line, an immaculate renaissance for the rock guitar and an unmistakable underground vibe. 'MORE'-era J-Hope is edgier: he is an eyeliner-clad subversion of his past self and the song radiates with a Goth-punk aura that also ingeniously mingles with a concoction of hip-hop and rock. The song is hypnotic as J-Hope’s feverish chants of “Hah! Shout Out!” and “I want some more!” create a rhythmic trance for the listeners; J-Hope is unabashedly in his element as the cathartic lyrics pour over energetic drumbeats.
The music video exhibits the lingering shadows of a sinister jester, perhaps as a motif for the rebel rendition of J-Hope who is incarcerated within the box: a possible symbol for the systems that he is caged within. J-Hope’s character is an eccentric enigma and could be trapped in the dimensions of the bustling office, the clustered apartment and the dim-lit basement featured in the video, however, his rebellious acts of singing do not cut across these boundaries and thus, this phenomenon endows this piece of music with a smidgen of dismay. Stills of negative cinematography from the video further sharpen J-Hope’s new aesthetic.
J-Hope's Instagram
'MORE' shatters the materialistic pursuits, such as fame, associated with the idol persona: J-Hope is all about his art and how to burnish his métier; his artistic calling is the core precept of his life. His character in the music video is suppressed but, not passive and is actively attempting to obliterate the chasm of his imprisonment through his singing: his act of dissent, but his surroundings remain unchanged, signified by the shards of glass that seem frozen in the video, and that is how, he could have possibly become "Jack in the Box", trapped in a static milieu.
J-Hope 'MORE' Official MV on YouTube
J-Hope resides in the chaos and is potentially boxed by the entrapments that are pulsating around him, however, he drawls in his distinguishable baritone, “Keep my passion/ I gotta go,” in an attempt to revolt. His vehement love for his craft, an insatiable thirst for being heard and an adamant pursuit of his passion is evident in lyrics such as “My highlighting’s my art of learning” and “I crash and fall to make my art.”
J-Hope 'MORE' Official MV on YouTube
Social media is abuzz with speculative theories about the video and fans have reacted to the sexy and mysterious avatar of J-Hope and his unhindered outpour of emotions with wide-eyed fascination; the K-Pop sensation has unveiled an utterly different side of his demeanour and enamoured his listeners. The box securely lidded by him at the end of the music video indicates that a slew of musical surprises are on the way!
J-Hope's Instagram
J-Hope’s unique ability to seamlessly flit across an array of musical genres with his flexible song-making and storytelling skills are a testament to his commendable versatility; his emo awakening in the headbang-worthy 'MORE' leaves us yearning for the music that he is scheduled to release later this month.
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