What Has j-hope Been Up To?
Despite BTS’s military hiatus, after Jin’s discharge, the wait for all members to return in 2025 has not been that painful for ARMY. The septet has kept us very busy with the influx of new music, social media content, achievements, documentaries, and more. Through different channels, we have seen each member explore his identity and interests, which has made the group stronger than before, leading to their reach expanding across diverse audiences. For example, RM’s Indigo and Right Place, Wrong Person have attracted independent music and film audiences, with even Oscar winner Cillian Murphy adding Domodachi to his Summer Playlist through his production company Big Things Films, while j-hope as Louis Vuitton’s ambassador has captured the attention of fashion enthusiasts.
In 2022, when Big Hit Music announced that starting with Jin, all BTS members would be enlisting, ARMY was grappling with mixed feelings; the three-year wait for BTS to come back in 2025 would be painful but at the same time, the fanbase was happy that this announcement had put all enlistment discussions to an end. Little did we know that, as usual, the septet had individually prepared a lot of content and music to ease the longing.
Before the announcement after the “Yet To Come” concert in Busan, Chapter 2 of BTS’s solo debut album series began with j-hope releasing his first album Jack In The Box on July 15, 2022, which was followed by his historic headlining act at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 31. After wrapping up his album’s activities, he featured on Crush’s single Rush Hour, released on September 24. On November 30, which was Day 2 of the Mnet Asian Music Awards 2022 (MAMA), j-hope performed solo at a Korean award show for the first time. That night, BTS won six awards, including three Daesangs. He then performed Equal Sign and Future on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on December 31.
Following even more appearances in award shows, in February, j-hope’s documentary “J-Hope In The Box” was released, and he was appointed the Brand Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. A week after this announcement, j-hope went to Paris to attend the fashion shows of Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hermès. He released his single On The Street featuring hip-hop rapper and his idol J. Cole on March 3, which he then promoted on “The Seasons”, hosted by rapper Jay Park. The collaborative single debuted at No. 37 on the UK Singles Chart, making j-hope the first Korean artist to have a Top 40 entry. He also earned his highest peak on the US Billboard Hot 100 at No. 60.
Eventually, j-hope enlisted as an active soldier at the Army A Division Recruit Training Center in South Korea’s Gangwon Province on April 18, 2023. Having completed his basic training in May 2023, j-hope was appointed Assistant Training Instructor with the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju. Because of his exceptional performance, he earned the prestigious “Special Force” title reserved for soldiers surpassing specific benchmarks. He was subsequently promoted to Platoon Leader in November, two months ahead of the intended time, which was January 2024.
During New Year's Eve, j-hope penned an emotional letter on Weverse to ARMY, in which he reminisced on the activities he did before starting his conscription, while also sharing how he missed and worried about his fellow members. But there was one thing in his letter that made ARMY excited: his discharge will be in October, which, as of writing, is coming up fast!
Enter 2024, and in no time we were bombarded with diverse media from BTS. Notably, the six-episode docuseries “HOPE ON THE STREET” first aired on March 27, with each episode dropping every Thursday at midnight Korean Standard Time until May 1. During this period, j-hope also released the special album HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 on March 29. Both creations celebrate j-hope’s rejuvenated passion for dance, as he traveled from Japan, Paris, New York, and back to Korea, his home. Connecting with dancers in these cities renewed his commitment to dance his way through life, and brought out another side of hope that we will get to see when he returns from the military.
More content is still being released from j-hope’s treasure box through his social media. In his letter on Weverse dated September 17, he exclaimed, “Exactly 30 days!”, which means he will be discharged in 18 days as of this publication! For ARMY, it almost feels like a career at this point to track BTS's planned activities, as j-hope is sure to surprise us with his artistry again.
Written by: Anugya
Edited by: Ren
Designed by: Achan
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