“I will continue to show you good stages as long as I can move and do it.”
“BTS is really precious to me. I will prepare well as a team and show you soon.”
J-Hope of BTS brightly celebrated their debut date, June 13. Although he performed solo, he was surrounded by thousands of fans and members who had returned from military service. It was the moment when the full comeback of BTS after their hiatus became a reality.
On the 13th, J-Hope's world tour encore concert ‘J-Hope Tour Hop On The Stage Final’ took place at Goyang Gymnasium in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City. The concert will be held for two days until tomorrow. Both days of the performance were sold out, showcasing global popularity. The venue accommodates 27,000 people per show, gathering a total of 54,000 fans.
The concert held in February at the Seoul Gymnastics Arena was also sold out, including restricted view seats. This performance garnered significant attention as it marked the grand finale of his world tour.
Before the concert began, a few raindrops fell, and fans attending the event waited for J-Hope while wearing raincoats. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and the concert started without any significant impact.
J-Hope opened the concert with a spectacular performance of ‘What If’ from his solo debut album. Standing on stage with a standing microphone, he resembled a rock star returning after a long history. His beautiful rapping further heated up the concert venue.
After passionately performing tracks like ‘Pandora’s Box’, ‘Arson’, and ‘Stop’, J-Hope greeted the audience by saying, “I am J-Hope of BTS.” He engaged fans from the ground level to the upper tiers, overwhelming the crowd with his seasoned stage presence.
J-Hope expressed, “I can’t believe it. Starting in Seoul, we had a tour for three months, and we finally arrived at the finale. Since it’s drizzling a bit, I think the concert will be even more fun. I hope you enjoy it so much that you can’t tell if it’s sweat or rain,” adding, “But the most important thing is safety.”
During the performance of ‘More’, all the fans stood up to breathe in his stage more deeply.
This concert symbolizes ‘J-Hope on stage’ while conveying a message of hope, wishes, and dreams being realized on stage. The performance, reflecting on J-Hope's journey, was structured around five themes: ‘Ambition’, ‘Dream’, ‘Expectation’, ‘Imagination’, and ‘Wish’.
Following the ‘Ambition’ theme, another BTS member appeared on stage during the ‘Dream’ theme, filling the venue with unprecedented cheers. It was Jungkook, who returned from military service on the 11th. He showcased their performance of ‘I Wonder’ with J-Hope, demonstrating their unchanging chemistry. Right after the stage, J-Hope welcomed Jungkook back, saying, “Please cheer for Jungkook, who has returned from military service.” Jungkook replied, “I was so nervous down there. I really missed ARMYs,” adding, “I’m so overwhelmed that I can’t think of what to say.”
When J-Hope encouraged the audience to feel the concert, Jungkook shyly responded, “Old memories are coming back, but it feels so new.”
Jungkook then shared his short thoughts, saying, “I’m happy to be able to perform on stage,” and presented a live performance of his solo song ‘Seven’. Notably, J-Hope made a surprise collaboration during this stage, reminiscent of a BTS performance.
Another surprise stage followed. He presented a live performance of his new song ‘Killing It Girl’, which was released at 1 PM that day. As it was the global premiere, fans responded with enthusiastic cheers upon hearing his new song.
The performance showcased bold and sensual dance lines and a sexy atmosphere that had never been seen before. The combination of high-difficulty moves and fluid yet intense movements added to the immersion of the stage.
‘Killing It Girl’ is a hip-hop genre song with an impressive catchy hook, featuring lyrics that candidly express the overwhelming excitement of falling for someone at first sight. This song not only concludes J-Hope's solo single project but also showcases the peak of his expanded musical spectrum.
Right after the stage, J-Hope remarked, “Even though I prepared hard, I always feel like there are things I wish I could have done better. If you all like it, that’s enough for me. Finally, this song is bearing fruit,” and introduced it as “a performance that allows you to feel J-Hope’s sexy side.” He added, “I approached it in my own way and made it easy listening,” expressing his gratitude, saying, “I’m overwhelmed and honored that the song is coming out on such a meaningful day.”
After that, J-Hope performed solo songs like ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘Mic Drop’, ‘Dae Bae’, ‘Airplane’, and ‘Chicken Noodle Soup’, completing an explosive stage.
At this point, J-Hope had fully established himself as a solo artist beyond being a member of BTS. Considering that he didn’t have many comments, his ability to connect with fans solely through his performance was truly remarkable.
Before the final stage, J-Hope said, “This is a performance that I prepared really hard for. It’s a happy day, and I’m grateful to ARMY and to the members who have been with me until now. It’s a special day for everyone,” expressing his gratitude to the members present at the concert. The members caught on camera shot heart signs, winning the fans' hearts.
J-Hope continued, “Now it’s time for all the members to finish their military service and return. There will be so much to show you all. I will prepare well and show you, so please look forward to it. Please give a round of applause to the members. They worked hard,” conveying his affection. “The members are really precious to me. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here, and if it weren’t for you all (ARMY), our team wouldn’t exist. In many ways, you and I are connected,” he said, “As long as I can move and do it, I will continue to show you good stages. I will make sure to bring you good music. Thank you so much for coming today. I love you,” leaving his closing remarks.
Just when it seemed the concert would end with ‘Hope World’, the encore stage kept the fans on their feet. This was just the beginning. At the center of it all were J-Hope, Jungkook, and Jin. First, J-Hope sang BTS's ‘Spring Day’ with Jin, delivering a deep resonance to the fans who had been waiting for a BTS stage. The two shared a heartfelt hug after the song, drawing attention.
Then, with Jungkook, who had previously performed solo, the three of them added the BTS unit stage ‘Jamais Vu’, soothing the hearts of the fans. This was the first time they had performed in front of fans since the online concert ‘Bang Bang Con The Live’ in 2020, leaving a special meaning.
J-Hope added encore stages with ‘Equal’, ‘Future’, and ‘Neuron’, concluding the three-hour marathon and bidding farewell to the fans. He performed a total of 27 songs.
Previously, J-Hope had captivated approximately 470,000 audiences worldwide as a solo artist through 31 performances in 15 cities, including Seoul, Brooklyn, Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
The main stage, consisting of 25 lifts, which was first introduced at the Seoul concert, was also spectacular that day. This set dynamically changed the height and arrangement of the lifts in real-time to match J-Hope's music and performance, completing a dynamic presentation. Various graphics were displayed on the LED surrounding the four sides of the lifts, maximizing immersion. Additionally, J-Hope utilized both the main and protruding stages evenly, showcasing diverse appearances and enhancing fan satisfaction.
Fans who could not attend the event in person were able to enjoy the concert through online live streaming.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
