Jack In The Box
Just one month after BTS, arguably the biggest group on the planet, announced a break, j-hope, the charismatic dancer/rapper/singer known for his cheeky personality, released his debut solo LP—becoming the first member of BTS to do so. (No surprise there—back in 2019, he was the first to drop a solo single, the effervescent “Chicken Noodle Soup” with Becky G.) *Jack in the Box* is a complicated triumph: lyrically world-heavy, an eclectic mix of hip-hop, pop, raucous guitar rock detours, and, most importantly, optimism. There’s the bombastic Y2K hip-hop of “Pandora’s Box” (the first bar he drops on the release is “They call me hope/Do you know why I am hope?/Pandora’s history, that’s my birth.” It’s a savvy metaphor. Once the world’s evils have been released, all that is left is hope, j-hope). “= (Equal Sign)” recalls a smooth Justin Timberlake/Neptunes-esque falsetto—as impressive as his fiery flow on the closer “Arson” or “Safety Zone.” There are no features here—an interesting choice in the rap space, no doubt an intentional declaration of autonomy: Here is j-hope, your hope, my hope, in 2022.
As BTS put group activities on hold, J-Hope peels apart his perky public persona on debut solo album 'Jack In The Box' – read the NME review
J-Hope breaks out of the BTS mould through purposefully unresolved horrorcore on Jack in the Box
The first solo album released since K-Pop titans BTS announced a break feels more like a proof of concept
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Being part of the biggest boyband to currently exist, J-hope is a name that many know and love. His second album ‘Jack In The Box’ introduces a darker