One of the main facets that sets BTS’s j-hope apart from his industry peers is his carefully crafted image. The rapper is known as BTS’s sunshine; recognized for his happy-go-lucky personality and beatific smile as much as his killer dance moves and hard-hitting raps. He’s also the first BTS member to release an official solo album. This album, Jack In The Box, sees j-hope shed his skin and reinvent himself as an artist, in what is easily one of the most fascinating releases of 2022.

Anyone who has delved into the world of BTS knows that j-hope has always been serious about his craft. Originally entering the K-Pop world as a dancer, he taught himself how to rap to match the remarkable skills of Rap Monster (now, of course, RM) and SUGA in order to debut as a member of BTS—originally conceptualized as a hip-hop trio. Though both RM and Suga already had established themselves in the K-Hip-Hop sphere, j-hope quickly proved that he could hold his own, growing stronger throughout the group’s debut and with every following comeback. His hard work came to fruition in the form of his 2018 mixtape Hope World, an ode to the fantastical image he’d created as a performer. It was everything ARMY expected and more. But with the release of his aptly-titled single “MORE” earlier this month, he proved he still had much more hidden up his very talented sleeves.

“Arson”

If the pre-released “MORE” was a teaser of what was to come, “Arson” feels like the next logical step in the metamorphosis of j-hope. Sonically, the songs are quite similar: both put j-hope’s skills as a rapper at the forefront, ditching his usual flashy musical style for simple hip-hop beats. “MORE” and “Arson” serve as twin title tracks, with the latter wrapping up the tracklist: whereas “MORE” feels like the start of everything, “Arson” serves as the conclusion of this era of j-hope, leaving fans in eager anticipation of what could possibly come next. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he admitted that the song “feels like a turning point and crossroads,” and though it ends the album, it certainly does feel like the start of a new beginning.

The Music Video

The music video for “MORE” featured much the same storyline as the concept of Jack In The Box in the way its narrative teased that fans had only seen a fraction of j-hope’s talents. “Arson” takes a much simpler approach, letting the song shine by itself. The video opens up with a canvas backdrop of a pristine house in a dingy junkyard surrounded by cars ablaze with fire. j-hope appears as the vocals kick in, likewise looking put together in a white jumpsuit. As the song builds, the fires start to burn brighter, with smoke quickly engulfing everything in sight. The second half of the song sees j-hope emerge from the flames—an easy comparison to the imagery of a phoenix born from its ashes—covered in soot and grime as he walks amongst the ashes of the cars and the scenic backdrop. The camera then cuts to a blackened heart inside his body, beating to the heavy hip-hop beat of the song, as fire flows in his veins. When the camera zooms back out, we see j-hope himself covered in ashes before the camera pans out to “ARSON” spelled out in flames.

Though the narrative is much simpler than that of “MORE,” “Arson” tells just as strong of a tale, and the moral of this story is that j-hope is capable of pretty much anything.

The Rest of the Album

j-hope employed the metaphor of Pandora’s Box to symbolize his fresh start as a soloist; as such, Jack In The Box opens with an anecdote about the Greek legend. “Intro” sounds like a documentary, detailing the story of Pandora as she unleashed chaos upon the world after opening a forbidden box. While the song serves as little more than an introduction to the album’s concept, there’s a special moment when the narrator tells of the glimmer of hope that left the box after all the darkness. Leave it to j-hope to be as tongue-in-cheek as possible.

The album then officially starts with “Pandora’s Box” and its gritty ‘90s hip-hop beat that perfectly sets the tone of the new j-hope. “MORE” naturally follows after, as does “STOP,” another song that sounds like it could have come out of the 1990s U.S. West Coast. “= (Equal Sign)” keeps the percussive beats of its predecessors but adds electronic flourishes and brings some light to the album. It’s also the first time we get vocals from the artist—something that shouldn’t be undervalued against j-hope’s impressive rapping skills. It’s a song that harkens back to the idea of hope originally presented in “Intro” that feels like a gateway into the second half of the dark album.

“Music Box : Reflection” opens this second half, with a haunting music box tune set against grungy beats and labored breathing. “What if…” starts off with a bright piano hook (courtesy of ‘Ol Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”) before it quickly goes off-kilter. Once j-hope kicks in with the first verse, it’s clear things are not what they originally seemed. Fittingly, the song is an introspective one, pondering j-hope’s existence as the bright sunny boy of BTS and Jung Hoseok and how they are different, yet one and the same. “Safety Zone,” a song about j-hope’s desire to find a sense of security in his tumultuous celebrity lifestyle, adds a touch of R&B to the album, and while the beats are slower, his flow is as dynamic as ever. “Future” is about as upbeat as Jack In The Box gets, bringing a bit of the beloved token j-hope groove to the album. In a release as reflective and transformative as Jack In The Box, the song sounds and feels like a reminder to j-hope himself that even in the thickest of darkness, there is always hope.

No one was prepared for Jack In The Box from the start, but with just one listen, it’s clear we all still somehow managed to underestimate j-hope. I’ve been a fan of his for the last six years, and he’s left me in awe at every turn, and yet with this album, he still managed to outdo not only himself, but possibly every expectation anyone could have set for him. It’s j-hope, and yet, it’s so much more. And I can’t wait to see what’s next.

“Arson” Title Track Score: 8/10

“Arson” Music Video Score: 8/10

Jack In The Box Album Score: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.2/10

Edited by Vivian N.