The South Korean idols revealed they were taking a vacation while concentrating on solo projects after the release of their career-spanning anthology, Evidence, in June. Then on Friday, J-Hope released his first solo album as a member of BTS, titled Jack in the Box.
The 28-year-old musician, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, finds darker, edgier beats on the 10-track LP than you’d expect from the “Butter” boy band (which, at 22 minutes, is shorter than some EPs). He even pops the F-bomb on the album’s final track, Arson, to further demonstrate his transformation from bubblegum to badass.
J-Hope raps, “I torched it all/And I want it all,” over a spooky, even ominous undertone.
With “Jack in the Box,” a harder hip-hop song on which J-Hope alternates between English and Koreanhe clearly wants to set his old BTS image on fireThe first BTS member to release a solo album is J-Hope, who did so with Jack in the Box. J-Hope
But “= (Equal Sign),” which reintroduces J-Hope into poppier territory and delivers a “come together” message with shades of the Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake song “Where Is the Love?” may have the greatest chance of becoming a success.
On July 31, J-Hope will become the first South Korean musician to headline a significant US festival, Lollapalooza. But, it is still unclear whether he will be able to pull a Justin Timberlake and become a solo superstar.
Here, we take a look back at boy band members who went solo and their successes (Harry Styles) and failures (Nick Carter).Michael Jackson
MJ laid the groundwork for his transition from boy band to solo idol as he outpaced his brothers in the Jackson 5 and with the back-to-back blockbusters 1979’s “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.” ascended the throne of the King of Pop in 1982. and 1987’s “Bad.” And while allegations of child abuse before and after his death in 2009 have tainted his legacy, no one has ruled the music world quite like he has.
Michael Jackson exploded into the solo stratosphere in 1979 with his album Off the Wall. Redferns
Harry Styles
The former One Direction heartthrob still sings the group’s biggest hit ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ in his concerts. But after winning a Grammy for his first No. 1 single, 2020’s “Watermelon Sugar,” and now topping the charts with “As It Was” — for week nine and on — he’s a one- Mann phenomenon who has 15(!) shows at Madison Square Garden starting August 20th.
Harry Styles will headline 15 shows at Madison Square Garden beginning August 20. WireImage
Justin Timberlake
Though he recently got dragged for bringing papa moves to the “Beat Ya Feet” dance, JT didn’t miss a beat when he said “Bye Bye Bye” to *NSYNC and solo studdom with hits like “Cry Me” welcomed a River”, “Rock Your Body” and “SexyBack”. We even give him credit for 2018’s Man of the Woods.
Justin Timberlake never looked back after saying “Bye Bye Bye” to *NSYNC.Redferns
Bobby Brown
When Brown was kicked out of New Edition, he wanted revenge on his former fellow boy band members. And with Don’t Be Cruel, his hit 1988 solo album, he showed them what he could do while exercising his own prerogative. And though he never came close to that success again and only released two more solo albums, Brown remains the biggest star to emerge from NE.
Bobby Brown was fueled by revenge in his solo career after being kicked out of New Edition. Jim Steinfeldt
Rick Martin
The only true solo sensation from Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, Martin helped spearhead the Latin pop crossover movement with his 1999 hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” while also producing a string of Spanish-language hits over the years. However, Martin is now embroiled in a spat with his 21-year-old nephew Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, who has accused him of domestic abuse – allegations the singer has denied.
