"Jack in the Box"...

 ...four months hence.

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by PAM

One of the most important tests to establish the timelessness of a work of art is longevity. When the work remains relevant for a long time... then it becomes a classic.

Jack in the Box:  A work of art that spells daring and
stunning revelation from J-Hope.

j-hope is the first BTS member to launch his solo album, "Jack in the Box"(JITB), just a month after the 9th anniversary of their debut as a group this year. It was a daring move... but j-hope was ready. He is an epitome of hard work. He usually spends a grueling amount of time to iron out the tiniest wrinkle in his work in painstaking detail - it's just his nature. He commits to perfection with the brute force of discipline and hard work. He's got extraordinary combination of talents, too:  he writes, he raps in powerful and/or rhythmic verses, he sings and he dances like no other. Therefore, he can slay the heck out of any live performance even those that require death-defying moves!  These give him 'wings to fly'... and land on the ground solidly with both feet.

Now, four months after its launch, and inspired by the release of a behind the scene video of J-Hope's stint at Lollapalooza 2022 on Bangtan TV, I decided to revisit JITB. 

"Yeah, I'm thirsty... I want some more!"

JITB hit the ground sprinting with "More", which unveiled a completely different side of the cheerful and sunny Hobi. The opening tune is so 'menacing' that a listener's heartbeat quickened... pushing the heart on the verge of exploding by the time Hobi finished the first verse. And then, the heartbeat got into the rhythm... the senses were filled with j-jope's patent rapping in a powerfully hoarse voice... only, this time, he was 'rap ranting', luring the listener to the edge of the ledge... and by the time j-hope screamed, "I want some more!" all hell broke loose! And we jumped with him, flew with him as he took us to a different level in his musical power while opening his heart on how he views the exhilarating but chaotic success of BTS. In no time, we were all headbanging with our BTS Sunshine... commiserating with him in his frustrations, and joining him as he lets out more of himself... more, more, more! 

Whew, what a way to launch a solo album!

"Arson" is an excellent follow-up single. It kept the energy high, and the curtain that hides the other side of Hobi continued to roll down... and ripped to pieces!  My goodness, what a revelation this song is regarding the life that he leads as a K-Pop superstar. It just tears an ARMY's heart to pieces. Any ARMY who listened to this song became more understanding of his plight, and of their plight as BTS. And the admiration for them deepened as our eyes were opened to the gigantic challenges that they had to overcome... and the pain that they had to endure to keep the superstardom ablaze - mostly not for themselves anymore these days but for others. j-hope reflects, and looks into his and BTS' future in this song, and it's exciting to think what that future might be... if a future together is still in the cards, that is.  But they kept assuring ARMY that they are coming back together as a group again in 2025 after their military enlistment.  Well, we shall see then.

"My dream, done..."

JITB shows what a fantastic story teller j-hope is.  He showed this in "Pandora's Box". He revealed the origin of his 'pseudo name', j-hope, and revealed his thoughts with a beautifully made rhythm in the background.  "STOP", "Future" and "What if" are all deliciously introspective... honest, no pretenses, no annoying preaching that hides behind 'artistic license'. j-hope gave it to us raw, like a person opening up to a trusted friend. We don't usually hear the innermost thoughts of Hobi. His role in BTS allows limited chances to take a peek into his soul. In "Safety Zone", he went all out in telling his story and his thoughts regarding his celebrity world from his vantage point. It is absolutely stunning, I love it!  In the entire JITB, he invites us into his soul... and we were very pleasantly surprised!  After JITB, we never look at Hobi the same way again... especially after he performed JITB solo at the iconic Lollapalooza 2022 in Chicago..

"Music Box: Reflection" allows some respite from the stunning surprise of  new discoveries in Hobi's head. The sound of the winding music box seems to allude to a time of wait as they undergo military enlistment... a time to 'lull to sleep' professionally, but, perhaps, not artistically. But the moment we listened to "=(Equal Sign)", our 'familiar Sunshine' is back. This is where the 'longevity' of JITB is hinged, I do believe. 

j-hope with IU at "In The Palette"

JITB is the current state of mind and heart of j-hope, and it shows his depth and daring as an artist, too.  It shows j-hope as the fearless rapper and indomitable song writer, whose artistry is influenced, but not changed, by the phenomenal success of BTS.  Four months hence, it is still refreshing to listen to JITB... "More" still quickens the heartbeat, and "Arson" and "Safety Zone" still leave us open-mouthed by their honesty and openness to vulnerability.  One day, j-hope's circumstances will change... and he will have a new story to tell.  In my humble opinion though, the song that is not time-bound in JITB is "=(Equal Sign)".  The message is timeless, and the rhythm is easy and beautiful, too.  This will resonate for a long time:

"Hate'll paralyze your mind
"Gotta see the other side
"It costs ya nothin’ to be kind
"Not so different you and I
"Lookin' for love in a different light
"Until we find that equal sign"

Alright, I'm off to watch Spain vs. Germany on World Cup 2022. Will go running afterwards. I have my playlist with me, and it starts with "More" and ends with "Arson" with "=(Equal Sign)" as encore while I do final stretch.

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Image credit:  All photos are borrowed from the IG account of j-hope.  Thanks for the loan, Hobi.

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