In the “Intro” to Jack in The Box we learned that j-hope sees himself as the ‘hope’ left at the bottom of Pandora’s Box. He sees it as part of his destiny to combat all the negativity in the world. But in mid 2022, as he was getting ready to release the album, j-hope found himself reflecting on what else its theme meant. Aside from representing ‘hope’, he also felt that he was the doll (the “Jack”)—previously trapped inside the box, making music from inside. But now that the box was opened, he was able to spring free and make a different kind of music—one that allowed him to express his feelings more freely. It was something he’d been working on for years. His image he had cultivated as j-hope of BTS was one of laughter, positivity, and bright music. But as the group announced a break in their activities during that year’s FESTA, so the members could focus on solo efforts for a while, Hobi knew it was his time to step away from that image, and show his fans that there was more to j-hope than meets the eye. He wanted to show us that his ‘hope’ had evolved.

2018 was quite the year for j-hope. Not only did it mark the release of his first mixtape, HOPE WORLD, it also saw BTS negotiate an early (and very beneficial) contract renewal for the group. They had spent the previous year burning their collective candle at both ends, resulting in some very serious burnout amongst the members. The next few years saw monumental growth for BTS—both in artistic achievement and in global popularity. Though the COVID-19 Pandemic forced them to cancel a world tour and pivot all of their plans for 2020 and beyond, the way they used their time and platform during the lockdown to help their fans cope was nothing short of heroic inspiration. They gave us hope—which, after all, was j-hope’s entire mission statement. But the amount of energy he (and the others) gave away during that time was not without a price. The Pandemic caused both frustration and inspiration for j-hope, leading ultimately to the creation of his next solo project, JACK IN THE BOX.

Dance Leader. Rapper. Producer. Songwriter. Sunshine. Mood-maker. Happy Virus. Hob-ah. Jung Hoseok, the most mercurial member of BTS, is known by many names. He’s a man full of contradictions—unpredictable, yet steadfast… unfailingly cheerful, yet focused and deliberate… infinitely cool and swaggy, yet afraid of bugs—the list goes on. He was born on February 18, 1994 in Gwangju, South Korea, where he lived with his parents and older sister where he began studying hip hop and street dance at a young age. His foundation in dance instilled in him both fluidity and discipline and these qualities, plus his natural desire to work hard, helped him to quickly adapt to life at Big Hit Entertainment after joining in 2010. There, with the help of fellow trainees, he honed his voice, learning the fundamentals of rapping and songwriting, and adapted them to his own style. Over the next few weeks, we’ll watch Jung Hoseok become j-hope—continually leading the way and adapting the world around him to fit his own style, and inspiring his fans and fellow BTS members to do the same. From the early days all the way through revisiting his roots through the NEURON dance team, though he’s presented the image of an ever changing chameleon, his message to all of us has never wavered even for a moment: “I’m your hope, you’re my hope. I’m j-hope.”