10 Sweet Tidbits About BTS' J-Hope We Learned From His Disney Plus Documentary

(SPOT.ph) Ah yes, BTS. You either know them in passing as a group or you've devoted your blood, sweat, and tears to knowing each and every member as intimately as possible. No, we're not talking about that kind of intimacy, we're talking about learning all there is to know about the seven members—from their latest outfits, favorite snacks, and everything in between. The global pop sensation may be on a hiatus right now with everyone doing their own thing but that doesn't mean we have a shortage of all things BTS-related. That said, the group's main dancer and rapper, J-Hope has a documentary called J-Hope In the Box out on Disney Plus showcasing his journey, from debuting as a solo musician to being the first-ever Korean solo act to headline a major American festival. Don't let the usual format of concert movies-slash-musical documentaries keep you from pressing play, dear Spotter, as this is more than that. Here, you get to know Jung Ho-seok.

Also read: ARMY, Feel Like You're Hanging Out With BTS Through This Bus Tour

Here are 10 things we learned from Hobi's documentary, J-Hope In The Box:

No one else can hear J-Hope's body of work unless RM has heard it first.

In the earlier parts of the documentary, Hobi let it slip that the first BTS member to hear anything about his body of work is actually the group's leader, RM, who is also a rapper and producer. "He told me that this album sounded very new and interesting," recalls J-Hope during an interview inside a car. He explains that it was different from what he was doing with his solo music from before, which yes, was also previously shown to RM.

Jack In The Box is a reflection of J-Hope's experiences with different types of music. 

While not J-Hope's first rodeo with solo work—he released a mixtape called Hope World in 2018—this is his first time to release a full solo album. "Until now, I've been making music and giving out messages from inside the box. But I've come out of the box now...I want to talk about what I feel now that I'm outside the box." he adds during the car interview.

J-Hope's love affair with dance started in elementary school.

We all know what a dance machine J-Hope can be on stage; he is, after all, the main dancer of BTS. But did you know that his passion for the craft started as early as elementary school? During a visit to his hometown of Gwangju, J-Hope fondly recalls a particular moment when he had to go up on stage at a talent show during a retreat, implying that it was when he first started enjoying performing.

Nothing gets past J-Hope when it comes to his debut album.

Yep, you read that right: nothing. "I'm in charge of everything for the first time. I have to decide what's good and what's not and what I need to do," he says during the film. And to prove his point, we see J-Hope up at all hours of the day songwriting, producing, heading to rehearsals, heck, even being super hands-on with the planning of his listening party—a concept that was more popular in the U.S. than in South Korea—where basically all of K-Pop royalty was in attendance. 

Meeting J. Cole, one of his musical heroes, was a highlight of J-Hope's trip to Chicago.

Another headliner of the 2022 edition of Lollapalooza, J. Cole is an American rapper and producer that J-Hope idolizes. Having the chance to meet him backstage during the four-day festival meant the world to Hobi, even going as far as calling J. Cole, his "muse". 

J-Hope gushes over his idols—just like us.

Right after the interaction between the two musicians, it's quite clear that J-Hope is just like us whenever we get the chance to meet an idol. As he and fellow BTS member Jimin walk away he can be seen gushing in a high-pitched voice saying how excited he was and that "This is awesome!". Now you know how we'd feel, Hobi, if we ever get the chance to meet you!

Choosing which BTS songs to include in his Lollapalooza setlist was difficult.

It may have been #Hobipalooza but that doesn't mean his lifelong contribution to BTS will be forgotten. Mixed into the setlist were songs like "BTS Cypher Pt. 1," "Outro: Ego," and "Trivia: Just Dance"—all nods to the earlier discography of the group. Acknowledging the fact that he will be having a mixed audience of ARMY and non-ARMY, J-Hope had quite a difficult time deciding which of their more-popular tunes to include, ending with a remix version of their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, "Dynamite," chosen to act as a unifier between the mixed audience.

J-Hope thought that he'd only be a performer not a headliner at the American festival, Lollapalooza.

Never in a million years did J-Hope think he'd headline the American festival. "I just thought that I'd be one of the artists that perform" was what he was saying during D-Day. An estimated 105,000 people attended the said festival, nothing new for the Korean artist, having performed in some of the largest stadiums in the world. But what's important to remember is the fact that J-Hope is, as of this writing, the first-ever Korean solo act to headline a major American festival to this day, proving that language barriers don't exist when it comes to music.

Jimin's presence calmed J-Hope.

Casual stans may be curious as to why fellow member Jimin was with J-Hope in Chicago. For those not familiar with how the K-Pop industry works, groups typically live together in dorms from their training days and even after they've debuted in the music scene. Most will recall BTS' early years when the seven-member group all had to sleep in the same room. Flash forward to the peak of their success, the group has since then moved to a bigger dorm but Jimin and J-Hope have continued to be roommates, further enriching the bond that they have. Sometime before his groundbreaking performance in Chicago, J-Hope addresses Jimin saying he finally understands why performers bring their friends with them to performances, noticing how Jimin has calmed him immensely since arriving.

The idea of a solo project has always been in J-Hope's mind even before his debut.

Like any musician who has debuted in a group, the idea of doing a solo project has always been in J-Hope's mind, even going as far as back to during his trainee days. The concept, or at least the name of the project, Jack In The Box, had long been fleshed out, but he only focused on making his dream into reality sometime between 2019 and 2020.

J-Hope In The Box premieres February 17 on Disney Plus.