J-hope had been relatively well-known for his skills in dance prior to his debut; he won various local prizes for dance, including placing first in a national dance competition in 2008.
His skills in dance eventually led him to gain interest in singing and rapping, helping motivate him to audition as an idol trainee. As a trainee, j-hope was featured as a rapper in Jo Kwon’s song “Animal“, which was released in 2012.
2013–present: BTS and scheduled activities
On June 13, 2013, j-hope made his debut as a member of BTS on Mnet’s M! Countdown with the track “No More Dream” from their debut single album 2 Cool 4 Skool. He was the third member to join the group as a trainee after RM and SUGA. j-hope has since been involved in the creation process of every album in BTS’ discography.
On June 14, 2019, j-hope, together with fellow BTS member V, collaborated with Zara Larsson on a soundtrack called “A Brand New Day” for a mobile game BTS World.
2018–present: Solo activities
On March 1, 2018, j-hope released his first solo mixtape, Hope World, worldwide, along with a music video for the title track “Daydream“. A music video for the B-side “Airplane” was later released on March 6.
The EP debuted at number 63 and peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200, making him the highest charting K-pop solo act on the chart. Hope World also peaked at number 35 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and number 19 on the US Top Rap Albums chart. Three mixtape tracks, “Daydream”, “Hope World“, and “Hangsang“, charted on the World Digital Songs Chart, ranking third, 16th, and 24th respectively. The following week, the tracks grew to first, sixth, and 11th, with three additional tracks off of Hope World, “Airplane“, “Base Line“, and “P.O.P (Piece Of Peace) Pt.1” arriving on the chart at number five, eight, and twelve, respectively. “Daydream” peaking atop the chart made j-hope one of only ten K-Pop groups, including his band BTS, to reach number one. The success of his solo debut led him to rank third on the Emerging Artists Chart, and 97th on the Artist 100 Chart for the week of March 10 and 91st for the week of March 17. He is the fifth Korean artist, and the second Korean soloist after Psy, to place on the Artist 100. The mixtape charted in ten countries worldwide, with “Daydream” charting in three, and eventually placed at number five for Billboard magazine’s year-end world albums chart.
In 2019, j-hope released a free collaboration single, “Chicken Noodle Soup“, on September 27, featuring American singer, Becky G. The track debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, with 9.7 million streams and 11,000 downloads for the week ending October 4, making j-hope the first member of BTS to chart on the Hot 100 as a solo artist outside of the group, the third Korean solo artist to rank on the chart (after Psy and CL), and the sixth Korean artist overall to do so. “Chicken Noodle Soup” also debuted at number 1 on the World Digital Songs chart and is j-hope’s second song to achieve this after 2018’s “Daydream”.
For the three-year anniversary of his mixtape, j-hope released a full, three-minute long version of its closing track “Blue Side (Outro)” on March 1, 2021—it was uploaded to the BTS Soundcloud page for free.
On February 26 it was announced that j-hope would begin the process of serving his mandatory military service in South Korea, making him the second BTS member to enroll in the military. On the same day Big Hit also announced that j-hope would release a new single, “on the street“.[7]It was released on March 3, and was a collaboration with American rapper J. Cole.
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Name
His stage name, “j-hope (제이홉)”, comes from his desire to represent hope for fans, as well as to be “the hope of BTS.” It is also a reference to the myth of Pandora’s box, as after the box was opened and all the evils inside were released to the world, the only thing left was hope.
Artistry and public image
j-hope has been described as having an upbeat and energetic tone to his music and performances. His mixtape, Hope World, was described as having a fun nature and variety of musical genres, including synth-pop, trap, house, alternative hip hop, funk-soul, and retro elements. Jeff Benjamin of Fuse wrote that the atmospheric style of “Blue Side“, Hope World’ s outro track, “leaves the listener curious for what’s coming next from j-hope.” The lyrical elements of the mixtape, notably the lead song “Daydream”, was praised by Billboard magazine for its discussion of the difficulties an idol faces in their career, various literary references, and fun presentation of the serious subject matter.
j-hope cites the adventurous nature of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and the works Kyle, Aminé, and Joey Badass as influencers on his style and work on Hope World. The idea of peace has also provided a basis for much of his lyrics, stating that “it’d be fantastic to become a part of someone’s personal peace through my music” in an interview with Time magazine. The idea of “representing the modern generation” has also influenced his work on BTS’ music. There was also a reference to Douglas Adams’ science fiction series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
In January 2020, J-hope was promoted along with the fellow BTS member RM to join with SUGA as the full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.
Impact
In 2018, he was awarded the fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit by the President of South Korea along with other members of the group. He had the most liked tweet in the world for 2018 when he posted the “In My Feelings Challenge”.
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Personal life
In 2016, he purchased a luxury apartment in South Korea worth US$1.6 million for his personal use. As of 2019, he currently lives in Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea with his members.
Philanthropy
j-hope has been a member of the “Green Noble Club”, which recognizes high-value donors of Child Fund Korea, since 2018. On February 18, 2019, he donated ₩100 million (approximately US$90,000) to the organization in support of those attending his high school alma mater in Gwangju. He had previously donated ₩150 million (roughly US$135,000) in December 2018, but requested the donation be private at the time. In December 2019, he donated another ₩100 million. On November 17, 2020, he donated ₩100 million in support of children experiencing economic difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 18, 2021, he donated ₩150 million to support children with visual and hearing impairments. On May 4, 2021, for Children’s Day, he donated ₩100 million for children affected by violence in Tanzania, Africa.
Discography
See also: BTS Discography
Studio albums
- Jack In The Box (2022)
- Jack In The Box (HOPE Edition) (2023) (repackage)
Mixtapes
- Hope World (2018)
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Special albums
- HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 (2024)
Remix albums
- Sweet Dreams (zzZ Remixes) (2025)
- MONA LISA (Remixes) (2025)
- MONA LISA (Remix so fine) (2025)
Digital singles
- “Chicken Noodle Soup (feat. Becky G)” (2019)
- “Blue Side” (2021)
- “MORE” (2022)
- “on the street (with J. Cole)” (2023)
- “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)” (2025)
- “MONA LISA” (2025)
- “Killin’ It Girl (feat. GloRilla)” (2025)
Collaborations
- “널 웃게 할 노래 (A Song Make to You Smile)” (with Lee Seung Gi and Hareem) (2011)
- “Animal” (with Jo Kwon) (2012)
- “Rush Hour” (with Crush) (2022)
- “HUH?!” (with Agust D) (2023)
- “SPAGHETTI” (with LE SSERAFIM) (2025)
Remix singles
Soundtrack singles
- “A Brand New Day” from “BTS World OST Part.2” (with V and Zara Larsson) (credited as BTS) (2019)
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Solo songs credited as BTS
See also unit songs credited under BTS: Units
- “Intro: Boy Meets Evil” from WINGS (2016)
- “MAMA” from WINGS (2016)
- “Trivia 起: Just Dance” from LOVE YOURSELF 結 ‘Answer’ (2018)
- “Outro: Ego” from MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 (2020)
- “DNA (j-hope Demo Ver.)” from Proof (2022)
Unofficial songs
See also: Unofficial songs
Original songs
- “땡 (DDaeng)” (with RM and SUGA) (2018)
Sampled songs
- “1 Verse” (2015)
Adapted songs
- “방탄소년들의 졸업 (Graduation Song)” (with Jung Kook and Jimin) (2013)[n 1]
- “Beautiful” (with Jimin, V and Jung Kook) (2013)[n 1]
- “흔한 아이돌의 크리스마스 (A Typical Idol’s Christmas)” (with Jin, SUGA, Jimin and V) (2013)[n 1]
Cover songs
- “안아줘 (Hug Me)” (with V) (2015)
- “Feliz Navidad” (with Jin) (2019)
Filmography
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Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | j-hope IN THE BOX | Main cast; Weverse and Disney+ release |
| 2025 | j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING | Main cast; Live broadcast and screening in select global theatres |
| j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ THE MOVIE | Main cast; Screening in select global theatres |
Variety shows
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100인의 선택 – 최고라면 (100’s Choice: Best Ramen) | Guest (Ep.6) |
| 2015 | My Pet 상담소 (My Pet Clinic) | Guest with Jimin and V (Ep.6) |
| 2016 | 놀라운 대회 스타킹 (Star King) | Guest with V (Ep.433) |
| Guest with RM and Jimin (Ep.447) | ||
| 동상이몽, 괜찮아 괜찮아 (Same Bed, Different Dreams) | Guest (Ep.46) | |
| 신의직장 (God’s Workplace) | Guest with Jimin (Pilot) | |
| 2017 | 백종원의 3대 천왕 (Baek Jong-won’s Top 3 Chef King) | Guest with Jin (Ep.68) |
| 2018 | PON | Guest with Jimin[n 2] |
| 火曜サプライズ (Tuesday Surprise) | Guest with Jimin[n 3] | |
| ZIP! | Guest with Jimin[n 4] | |
| 2019 | 크리에이브틴(틴에이저) 언더나인틴 (Under Nineteen) | Guest as Dance Tutor (Ep.10) |
| 2022 | 5분만 : Give me a minute | Guest (Ep.1) |
| 아이유의 팔레트 (IU’s Palette) | Guest (Ep.14) | |
| Crush의 BLACKVOX | Guest (Ep.1) | |
| &TEAM 学園 (&TEAM Gakuen) | Guest (Ep.5) | |
| 2023 | MMTG 문명특급 (MMTG – Civilization Express) | Guest (Ep.277) |
| Inside Mang | Cast member (Eps.1–5, 7, 9, 11, 13, Special) | |
| 슈취타 (Suchwita) | Guest (Eps.12, 14) | |
| 2024 | HOPE ON THE STREET | Cast member (Eps.1–4) |
| 2024– 2025 | 달려라 석진 (Run Jin) | Guest (Eps.15–16) |
| 2025 | 나 혼자 산다 (I Live Alone) | Guest (Eps.585–586) |
| 냉장고를 부탁해 (Chef & My Fridge) | Guest (Eps.11–12)[n 5] | |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest (Ep.2105) | |
| 디바마을 퀸가비 (Diva Village Queen Gabee) | Guest (Ep.31) | |
| 요정재형 (Fairy Table) | Guest[n 6] | |
| 전지적 참견 시점 (Omniscient Interfering View) | Guest (Eps.351–352) | |
| 사나의 냉터뷰 (Sana’s Fridge Interview) | Guest (Ep.14) | |
| 2026 | 카니를 찾아서 (gwang series find_kany) | Guest (Ep.40) |
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Music shows
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 인기가요 (Inkigayo) | Special host with V (Ep.869) |
| 쇼! 음악중심 (Show! Music Core) | Special host with Jung Kook (Ep.526) | |
| 2017 | 엠카운트다운 (M Countdown) | Special host with RM and Jimin (Ep.543) |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | “I’m Da One“ | Backup dancer | Pre-debut, Jo Kwon‘s music video |
| 2018 | “백일몽 (Daydream)“ | Himself | Music videos for debut mixtape |
| “Airplane“ | |||
| “In My Feelings“ | Cameo, Drake’s music video | ||
| 2019 | “Chicken Noodle Soup (feat. Becky G)“ | with Becky G | |
| 2022 | “MORE“ | Music videos for solo debut | |
| “방화 (Arson)“ | |||
| “Rush Hour (Feat. j-hope of BTS)“ | with Crush | ||
| 2023 | “On the street (with J. Cole)“ | with J. Cole | |
| 2025 | “Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)“ | Music videos for digital singles | |
| “MONA LISA“ | |||
| “Killin’ It Girl (feat. GloRilla)“ | |||
| “SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope of BTS)“ | Guest appearence, LE SSERAFIM’s music video |
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Others
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | “Boy Meets Evil“ | Himself | WINGS comeback trailer |
| “MAMA“ | 정호석 (Jung Ho-seok) | WINGS short film #6; BU content certified | |
| 2020 | “Outro: Ego“ | Himself | MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 comeback trailer |
Radio shows
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 박소현의 러브게임 (Park So-hyeon’s Love Game) | Guest[n 7] |
| 2024 | 친한친구 이현입니다. (My Close Friend Lee Hyun) | Guest[n 8] |
Concerts
World tours
Concerts participation
- 2015 All Force One: Hot & Cool (Guest; August 20, 2015)
- 2022 CRUSH ON YOU Tour [CRUSH HOUR] in Seoul (Guest; December 24, 2022)
- PSY’s Summer Swag 2025 (Guest; July 5, 2025)
- RUNSEOKJIN EP. TOUR ENCORE (Guest; October 31, 2025)
Music festival participation
- Lollapalooza 2022 (Headliner; July 31, 2022)
- Lollapalooza Berlin 2025 (Headliner; July 13, 2025)
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Endorsements
On February 24, 2023, Louis Vuitton revealed that they have selected j-hope as their new global brand ambassador.[8]
- Louis Vuitton (Global) (2023; 2025–present)
