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BTS J-Hope drops 'goth jester' concept photos for 'More' single from his solo album 'Jack in the Box'

It seems like J-Hope of BTS is letting his darker self 'out of the box' if his 'goth jester' persona in the first concept photos are any indication

Chapter 2 for BTS will see all the members embark on their solo music careers. First out the gate was golden maknae Jungkook, who released a collaborative single with American singer Charlie Puth titled, 'Left and Right'. But it looks like the first solo album release will be by BTS' sunshine rapper Hobi aka Jung Hoseok (known by his stage name J-Hope). As soon as BTS members announced their hiatus, the K-pop industry was left in a state of shock but members of the boy group reassured fans that they were not going anywhere and J-Hope's solo debut is proof that there will be a lot more BTS content in the days to come. 

J-Hope's solo album is called 'Jack in the Box', which promises to give BTS fans a peek at Hobi's darker self that he generally hides from cameras. Over the last nine years, J-Hope's identity mirrored the persona that the boy group had picked for him. Just like any other K-pop group, BTS members have specific roles that has limited their full potential. In the case of J-Hope, the rapper was dubbed the 'happy-go-lucky' boy with the sunshine smile. But it seems like the rapper himself has gotten tired of the role and wanted to do something unique for his upcoming solo debut. 

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J-Hope releases concept photos for his single 'More'

On June 28, J-Hope dropped the concept photos for his new single 'More',  the pre-release track for his solo album 'Jack In The Box'. The title of the album is a nod at J-Hope's journey in the music industry as he was made to fit inside the box that is the K-pop industry as a jester. A "jack-in-the-box" is a children's toy that consists of a music box that plays a melody when cranked. Oftentimes, when the melody ends, the lid of the box pops open and a figure, usually a clown or jester, pops out of the box.

With this album and his upcoming single 'More', J-Hope presents a take that there is more to him than just being a jester-in-the-box. The rapper unveiled several goth-inspired concept photos for his upcoming single. The photos showed J-Hope with a jester's hat to fit with the theme of the album. He flaunted dark eyes and gothic face makeup which is very different from his usual sunny persona as a part of BTS. As he has initially shared in his Weverse magazine interview, J-Hope wishes to show fans his dark side, and fans are here to see a whole new version of Jung Hoseok aka J-Hope.

J-Hope to make a solo debut with 'Jack In The Box'

The single, 'MORE' will release on July 1 at 1 pm KST (12 am ET), ahead of his solo album, 'Jack In The Box' which will be released on July 15. This album comes after the release of his first mixtape 'Hope World' which dropped in 2018 and was loved by fans all over the world. Not only that but J-Hope has released his first collaborative single, 'Chicken Noodle Soup' with American singer Becky G back in 2019 ranked at Number 81 on Billboard Hot 100, making him the first and only BTS member to do so with his solo track.

Fans are tripping as they see a whole new intense version of J-Hope as one fan said, "OHMYGOD LOOK AT HOBI’S MAKEUP." Another fan said, "We’re not in hopeworld anymore." One fan said, "Tears in my eyes!" One fan joked, "Me running away from hoseok in the abandoned asylum." One fan declared, "THE HOBI CULT. IT STARTED!" One fan said, "I knew hobi had it in him ever since he chased everyone with baby scissors in the run christmas episode and was laughing maniacally the whole time." Another fan said, "Me after pulling a hobi pc from a hobi album." One more fan said, "Hobi getting ready to drop Jack in the Box"