Despite the reported BTS hiatus, all of its seven members, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, are probably now busy preparing for their solo activities. The first to drop his solo album is J-Hope, who has already teased his upcoming project.
J-Hope seemingly announced his new album on his Instagram page by posting a photo of him, which is believed to be for his upcoming LP. Thankfully, Big Hit Music also confirmed the news in a post on WeVerse. So, here's everything you need to know.
AllKpop noted that the 28-year-old revealed the release date and teaser images of his upcoming album, "Jack in the Box." In the snaps, he could be seen inside a huge green box wearing the Jack-in-the-Box black hat, a pair of white suits and black clown shoes.
He didn't say anything in the caption but noted the album's release date, "2022 07/15," adding the words, "open the box." Although the comments have been limited, it has already gathered almost 2.5 million likes as of this writing.
Alternatively, the Weverse announcement of Big Hit revealed that the album's first single would arrive two weeks earlier than its release date, which would be on Friday, July 1. In a statement, it said it would represent J-Hope's "aspirations to break the mold and grow further."
The upcoming single would also hint at diverse content that would show J-Hope's creative identity as an artist that fans are about to see. However, its title is yet to be revealed as of this time.
The announcement comes after Hybe announced that J-Hope would be the first BTS member who would release a solo project, per Billboard. The group then revealed they would be taking a "temporary break" to let everyone, like RM, Suga, V , Jungkook, Jin and Jimin, have time to prepare for their individual projects.
Aside from being the first member to release a solo album, it was also announced earlier this month that J-Hope would headline the main stage at Lollapalooza on July 31 in Grant Park, Chicago. It will be the first time a South Korean artist will lead the main stage at a major music festival in the U.S.
He will be replacing Doja Cat, who said in May that she had to drop the gig due to a tonsil surgery.
In other news, J-Hope was seen with Big Bang's G-Dragon at a dinner party hosted by the U.S. contemporary artist Tom Sachs, who was in Seoul for exhibitions. DJ/musician Kirioka from CMYK posted a photo of the group on his Instagram on Sunday, June 26, showing the two K-pop giants together.
