J-Hope finally got his wish. After naming J. Cole as a major inspiration, the BTS member released his new track and music video, along his dream collaborator, ‘On the Street’. This is the first drop from a member of the k-pop band, BTS, after it publicly announced it would (temporarily!) transition from band releases to individual projects.
J-Hope kicked off this development with ‘Jack in the Box’.
when j-hope met J. Cole and told him: “you’re my muse!”
AND NOW A COLLAB FOR ON THE STREET? SO HAPPY, SO PROUD
ON THE STREET IS COMING
ON THE STREET WITH J-HOPE pic.twitter.com/av54bFffzC— hourly j-hope (@hourlyhobi) March 2, 2023
This new track release comes after J-Hope is preparing for his mandatory South Korean military enlistment process, announced by BigHit Music last month. It also kicked off Hobi’s solo journey through gritty exploration:
We are happy to inform you that BTS member J-hope will be releasing a solo single ‘On the Street…J-Hope wrote the track to share his candid feelings toward his fans. The title ‘on the street’ refers to J-Hope’s roots—street dance—from which his dream to become an artist began, and the path the artist and fans will continue to walk together
Back to J-Hope’s artistic roots
Take it back to Lollapalooza last year, when the K-pop star and the American rapper met. In an exclusive interview with Variety, J-Hop says since that first meet, he could not stop thinking about how great it would be if they made music together, “so I reached out to him.”
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During his performance, J-Hope would become the first Korean artists to headline the festival – and the first BTS member to perform without the other members.
i got CHILLS when j cole said “j-hope. cole world.” pic.twitter.com/czyfJ94r1l
— lex⁷ (@prodK0YA) March 3, 2023
BigHit Music says the hip-hop track’s title refers to J-Hope’s ‘artistic roots in street dance’. The lo-fi beats act as a reassurance to the fans who have been by the artist’s side. Hobi is the second BTS member, after Jin, to enroll for military service.
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But do you see a pattern? Coincidentally, fellow band mate Jin used his pre-enlistment single, as an opportunity to shoot his (musical) shot and hang out with his beloved Coldplay!
Since the release of ‘Jack In The Box,’ I kept asking myself, ‘What drove me here? What made me who I am now?
He says to Variety:
As an artist who expresses himself through music and stage, I realized that it helps me to move forward and learn new things through reflecting on my roots and reminding myself of where I come from. It is a part of the learning process to become a more mature artist
J.Cole remains a big inspiration for the boy group. In 2013, the rookie group released ‘Born Singer’ which is a lyrical rewrite of the rapper’s 2013 song, ‘Born Sinner’. It officially released on the ‘Proof’ compilation album.
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