DJ Ahjumma Reviews: Hope Wants More

BTS member Jhope has a new single, More. It dropped last July 1, 2022 causing a stir among casual fans and listeners, intriguing and exciting ARMYs along the way. Fans and Kpop followers are waiting in bated breath for the release of the digital album, Jack in the Box, where More is one of the tracks in the album. This is the first official solo project that a member of BTS launched since the group announced the beginning of Chapter 2 of Bangtan during the Festa Dinner in June.

The noise behind More can be attributed to Jhope's known image and personality being the sunshine and vitamins of Bangtan Sonyeondan. The theme of the single is a departure from his established persona. The colors and the tone of the music and its vidoe is dark and starkly grittier compared to the swag of his melody rap and hard hitting hiphop songs he writes, performs and produces. The beat and the chord patterns are reminiscent of 80s and 90s alternative rock and hiphop that one would have an immediate recall of Linkin Park, Limpbizkit and U2. Nonetheless, this new single emerging from Chapter 2 of Bangtan Sonyeondan is a change welcomed by many, ARMYs and casual fans of Kpop.

Jhope's first mixtape, Hope World (Big Hit 2018), is a burst of colors. The album cover shows a landscape and seascape with striking mix of bright colors: lavander, teal, turquoise, bright yellow green in a red orange back drop. Clouds hover above and an airplane flies over in suspended animation. This is a reflection of Jhope's world at the time. BTS was touring actively and winning awards left and right. It was also the year when BTS as a band started asking questions about the future that is yet to come.

Hope World has eight tracks with the title track bearing the name of the mixtape too. HopeWorld, the song begins with the sounds of bubbles that mimic a swimmer or a diver going underwater. Inspired by the book which Jhope read as a young boy, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Jules Verne), the song is an invitation to his mindscape; his dreams and ambitions; his worries and what keeps him up at night. With an upbeat sound that runs accross all songs in the mixtape, as well as a bit of melacnholy in some songs, Hope World is a wellspring of joyful music that reveals the diverse influences of Jhope as an artist and musician. It was a well recieved work of music from critics, reviewers and ARMYs.

More, on the other hand speaks of hunger and going beyond achievements. It is a song that denotes reaching a certain peak or level of accomplishment that the persona/singer is asking for more. Jhope is involved in a soliloquy by singing out loud on what he can do, what lies ahead, pursuing what ever else is there to conquer and why.

Jhope sings:

Self-learning for 11 years/ My highlighting’s my art of learning 

Endless studying I crash and fall to make my art 

Still make it move from where I stand / Make it mine, make it right 

 Somebody’s favorite song again 

That’s half my life, reason for living, joy of life / Motivated to carry on … 

Bring it all / I’m doing it all

In More, Jhope is determined. The days of the dreamy young man of Hope World who wonders is over. In More, Jhope is Jung Hoseok who has a clearer vision of his identity as artist. He knows what he wants. He knows how to get it.

But the question remains. With More, who is the Jhope who will spring out of the box?

Rating: 4/5 Shots of Soju

Source for lyrics of More: https://www.glamsham.com/music/lyrics/bts-jhope-more-song-lyrics-english-translation

Source for Hope World Mixtape cover: https://pin.it/67LA0YI