What’s in the box, J-Hope? BTS’s J-Hope (real name Jung Ho-seok) has officially released his debut studio album, Jack in the Box. The record consists of ten tracks and functions as a concept album grounded in the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box. The concept album takes its sound from old-school hip-hop, funneling through J-Hope’s greed about his craft, anxiety about the future, and his pronouncement that there are no bad people in the world. The two title tracks — “More” and “Arson” — anchor the album, considering ideas about blind ambition and insatiable passion. “What If” samples Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” where he wonders what would happen if he had no hope or dreams or passion, while “= (Equal Sign)” and “Future” imagine brighter, more equitable, worlds. “Arson” is something of an existential crisis, escaping the box and lighting the flame. Now that his star shines the world over, he’s just burning brighter. See for yourself at Hobipalooza listen to Jack in the Box below.
