J-Hope’s Jack In The Box is an intoxicating, tension-ridden insight into the real Jung Hoseok; introduces us to BTS’ Chapter 2

In the past few years, BTS has evolved into an unstoppable force. From the boys who started in 2013 with messages on mental health and societal pressures using hip-hop, they went on to explore new musical styles, ranging from wistful to peppy, hopeful and fun pop songs like Butter, Permission To Dance and My Universe collaboration with Coldplay signalling the end of the pandemic. They escalated the astronomical heights of fame, winning the Grammy’s night with an electric performance of Butter and continued to top Billboards. They had changed the face of K-Pop, and they knew that, but it wasn’t enough. They had come a long way from where they began, but the dreariness was seeping in. While their songs and albums received much love from ARMY, the band themselves wasn’t quite happy and a growing exhaustion brewed, as clear from RM’s explanations at the Festa 2022 dinner. Feeling that they had lost their way and the burden of being a K-Pop idol, he said that they needed to step back and understand what their message should actually be and J-Hope agreed that it would be healthier for them. So, they decided to also focus on solo careers. In retrospect, it seems like a sensible decision, because we got to see J-Hope’s growth as an artist and his attempts at testing his own limits. He led the charge with a new album that brought out a completely different side to him.

This is the real personality that J-Hope or ‘sunshine’ as he’s always been lovingly called by ARMY— has wanted the world to see for a while now—that he’s more than just the lead dancer, smiling rapper we see on stage, the caring band member in group activities, the Sprite and strawberry enthusiast. J-Hope is just the stage persona, the mask that we’ve been seeing for years. He let himself out of the box–another way of looking at it.

With Jack In the Box, J-Hope has delved into the different facets of his personality. It wasn’t a complete shock to see BTS’s ‘ray of sunshine’ being eclipsed; he has been preparing his fans well in advance that while he might believe in hope and light, he’s more than the sunny dimples and smiles. But those concept photos were not intended just to astonish fans—there was a story to them, and so he tells the story with his album. He wants you to know that he’s sunshine, the storm and darkness. He’s just as human as anyone else.

Safety Zone

In the short track, Safety Zone, J-Hope, who has usually been the ‘safe zone’ for his own band members, hunts for his own place in life. As the latest Festa 2022 dinner proved, the members have been staggering under the weight of expectations to the point that they’ve felt that they’ve lost sight of who they were. Echoing this sentiment, J-Hope reflects on the overpowering success that he has been experiencing over the past decade, and how it almost feels like an exhausting burden. The lyrics ‘Where is the ray of light for relief in the dark’ and his perplexed questioning, ‘Should I go left or right?’ express his confusion as he stands at crossroads in life.

What If

J-Hope has often touched lightly on the difference between his public image and real personality. As much as he seems like the bubbling extrovert, he is also one of the self-professed introverts of the group. In the dark ‘What If’ track packed with haunting instrumentals, J-Hope questions whether he really is what he seems to the public—‘optimistic, always with a smile on my face’. The chorus shows the toll that it is taking on him as he asks, what if he didn’t have the hope or passion, or the vision—where would he be?

Stop

 Just because he’s shown the darkness to the world, it doesn’t mean that he’s abandoned hope entirely. Stop is a scathing attack on the cruelty of humans and politics and rage almost clouds J-Hope till he forces himself to calm down. As he says, “The acts of humans who are even worse than animals disgust me / In harsher words, even I doubt whether they’re really humans…” He then reminds himself to ‘stop’ and reconsider overpowering situations.

Equal Sign

 It’s a short track and deserves a few more verses—but it’s where J-Hope talks about love and kindness, emphasising the power of unity and love. It’s the side of J-Hope we’ve seen all along, but almost a pleading request.

More

A curious blend of old-school rock and hip-hop, More is another addictive track, following close on the heels of Arson. The beats are eerily unsettling, and the piano melody heightens the effect further. In the chorus, the guitar complements J-Hope singing as he wants more, indicating that he’s hardly done–in fact, this is a new beginning. He says that he’s been working hard consistently, though sometimes it might just not be enough. ‘I crash and fall to make my art’ , yet, he carries on.

It was the first song that J-Hope released from the album, teasing about what was yet to come. The music video is a psychedelic trip, where everything takes place in a box and it emphasises that J-Hope’s singing ambitions are far more than what he’s boxed himself in.

Jack In The Box is filled with a thrilling tension. Sometimes it’s addictively uncomfortable, at points reaching a crescendo, and then looms quietly in a corner like an uninvited guest.