Review: j-hope's ‘Hope On The Stage' LA Concert Is A Masterpiece

Forbes

06-04-2025

j-hope of BTS, photo courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
BIGHIT MUSIC / HYBE
Global superstar j-hope wants the world to know he hasn't forgotten where he came from. When he introduced himself during his Friday sold-out show – the first of two days – at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, he told the rousing audience, 'I'm j-hope of BTS.'
As the crowd cheered his name in unison, j-hope held his hands to his heart, touched by the lovely gesture from ARMY, the fandom of BTS.
'You guys have a lot of energy,' he told the LA crowd. 'Am I [in]
It has been four years since the South Korean artist performed in Los Angeles for BTS's 'Permission to Dance On Stage' Tour. He is now headlining his first solo stadium concerts, the final two concerts of his North American leg of the ''Hope On The Stage'' World Tour.
In the early morning of the concert, ARMY lined up to purchase concert merchandise and meet fellow fans. Several were decked out in Jack in the Box costumes—an homage to his studio album—and concert 'fits' dedicated to j-hope's fashion style. Many passed out 'freebies' filled with candy, handmade bracelets, stickers, and fan-made photocards of j-hope, which has become popular within the K-pop community.
As the stadium began to fill, fans grew anxious to see one of the beloved BTS members return to the stage live. It has been over a year since a member of BTS performed a concert in the U.S. (BTS member Jung Kook's last US concert performance was in December 2023 for iHeartRadio Live before his enlistment; Jin did not have any concerts in the US after his military discharge). The anticipation could be felt when the lights began to dim. A sea of red lights radiated from the crowd's lightsticks, which changed colors according to the concert's planned concepts. Several lit-up posters were seen in the dark, one that spelled out HOBI—another one of j-hope's nicknames—and the popular phrase by ARMY: 'BTS is 7'—an homage to the group's seven members.
Photo courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
BIGHIT MUSIC / HYBE
The concert set was divided into five parts, each with its themes and moods, telling the story of the artist's journey. The opening VCR – a pre-recorded video that helps present a story – showed a dark and cold world around j-hope, dressed in black, walking towards boxes with numbers on them. He opens the box with the number '23' on it, many interpreting it as the age when he created his first solo mixtape, Hope World. Inside the box is another persona of him, dressed in all red, inside a red room, leading to the first theme of the night: Ambition.
The first set of songs performed were from Jack in the Box, which showed a darker side to the 'Hope of BTS': 'What If…," 'Pandora's Box,' 'Arson,' 'Stop,' and 'More.' Donned in all red, j-hope poured all his rage and passion into the songs as if he had stepped out of a box that had held him in for so long.
The next video, as the next set was being prepared, referenced several of j-hope's songs, including 'Chicken Noodle Soup' and 'Airplane,' as well as his military enlistment date on the wall of the red room, as the box is being carried towards a 'Safety Zone,' a nod to a song on his album. This led to his 'Dream' set, where he returned to his hip-hop dance roots. Before becoming a member of BTS, he was part of his hometown's underground dance crew, NEURON. As songs from his extended play, Hope On The Street Vol 1. began, he entered the stage doing some smooth freestyle moves as if floating in air. His backup dancers joined him, with each dancer given a moment in the spotlight.
It's hard to believe this was the same person who had just performed with such intensity and fury from the set before. As he performed 'lock/unlock,' 'i don't know,' and 'i wonder,' it became evident why he's the main dancer of BTS. He displayed different forms of dance – house, tutting, locking, popping – all without missing a beat. As he closed the set with 'Trivia: Just Dance,' an upbeat love letter to the art of dance, the lightsticks from the audience began to groove as if the sea of lights became a wave dancing with him.
The next VCR showed j-hope released from his red box, which revealed a stage, surrounded by fans. This opened his 'Expectations' set with two of his latest singles, 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Mona Lisa," representing the type of music to expect from the artist.
However, the set began differently this time than the other North American concerts. As j-hope stepped out to sing 'Sweet Dreams,' so did his collaborator on the single – R&B singer Miguel. The audience screamed in delight as they were the first (and only) to have heard the song live with both artists in concert. As Miguel began his part, his eyes widened as the crowd sang back alongside him. After the song concluded, j-hope and Miguel embraced in a warm hug before the soulful singer exited the stage.
j-hope continued with 'Mona Lisa,' a song that expressed his love for the women of ARMY, calling them his 'masterpiece.' Several fans began dancing the viral dance challenge portion from their seats, which brought a smile to his face, leading him to sing an acapella version for them to sing along.
Photo courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
BIGHIT MUSIC / HYBE
As an ode to the past and his group, j-hope included BTS songs to be performed alongside his 'Fantasy' set with songs from Hope World, telling the audience, 'Let's go back in time.'
He began with his very first solo release, '1 VERSE,' followed by the mixtape singles 'Base Line,' 'HANGSANG,' and 'Airplane' before diving into BTS songs. The crowd went wilder – almost in a frenzy – as 'Airplane pt. 2,' 'MIC Drop,' and 'Baepsae (Silver Spoon)' started, prompting the official BTS fan chants – all seven of the members' names – from the audience. He concluded the set with 'Outro: EGO,' 'Daydream,' 'Chicken Noodle Soup,' and 'Hope World,' displaying the colorful artwork from that era.
As the fans waited for his encore, ARMY were given a moment to have their posters/signs shown on the big screen. Shouts of support echoed the stadium as each sign highlighted, including 'Proud Silver Senior Loves j-hope,' 'LA Loves j-hope,' and 'Important Business?' – the latter being an inside joke within the fandom.
In his final video of the night, leading to his final set: 'Wish," he prepares for a performance. On the way out, he takes a bright red box with him – leading the real j-hope to enter the stage.
'Do you know what this is?' he said, holding the lit-up box, which symbolized the place where he feels the happiest. 'It's very precious. This is the mini-version of the stage.'
Many fans began realizing the meaning behind his VCRs and themes, uttering 'ohhh' that reverberated the stadium. It made sense as his performance radiated joy and fervor as if he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life, despite having already performed the same set in five other cities. His charismatic energy never faltered or faded, even with the intense and intricate choreography and constant strain on his vocals. His playful interactions with ARMY seemed to fuel him as he held their hands and acknowledged posters he could see from the stage. Several fans could be heard sobbing from their interactions and the entire experience, a precursor to BTS's eventual—and emotional—reunion.
He closed out the concert with optimistic songs that represented his wishes for the future: one for equality ('= (Equal Sign)') and one for hope ('Future'). His final song, 'Neuron,' was his final wish of connecting with his past and a reminder never to forget where you came from. He is 'j-hope of BTS'. Something that this audience will never forget.