J-Hope Embraces Darkness On Debut Solo Album 'Jack In The Box'

J-Hope's debut solo album Jack in The Box is finally here and the BTS rapper is being lauded for delving into a darker sound by fans and critics alike. On Friday, July 15th, J-Hope dropped the album as well as a new music video for its concluding track "Arson," which will serve as the second single for the project.

The 10-track album marks J-Hope's first official solo studio album, following his 2018 debut solo mixtape Hope World. The artist also collaborated with Becky G for the 2019 song "Chicken Noodle Soup." Aside from those projects, J-Hope's Jack in The Box is the first time fans are getting to see a darker, more mysterious, side of him.

According to Consequence, a streaming press preview for the album came with a note from J-Hope urging the listener to play the album in order as his goal for the project was for it to "flow like a well-written book." The publication's review calls the album "a major creative risk for j-hope, playing against type and completely upending any expectation of a return to the rainbow-hued landscape developed in Hope World."

J-Hope growls through tracks that are saturated with classic Hip Hop sounds and beats. "What If," which may be the album's darkest track," samples Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" as he struggles to balance his public persona and his true self.

As BTS continues their musical hiatus as a group (a new partnership between their label and Disney will see the members star in new Disney+ shows), fans are eager to hear all seven members express themselves in new ways like J-Hope does on his album. The singer will also get to perform his new songs at Chicago's Lollapalooza on July 31st.

You can listen to Jack in The Box here.